


Rig the Game: Royal

by Hawkright01121999, some1upoyo



Category: Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5: The Royal - Fandom
Genre: Akira Kurusu doesn't take shit, Akira is a goddamn mess, Akira x Sumire, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst and Humor, Attempt at Humor, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, IF I GET THERE, Maybe - Freeform, P5 Male MC - Akira Kurusu, P5 alternate bad ending, P5R Female MC - Rem Amamiya, P5R attempt at a better Good!Ending, Persona 5 Royal - Freeform, Persona 5 Royal Storyline, Persona 5: The Royal, Reality Travel, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, Yakuza, eventually, no beta we die like men, yeet!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 32
Words: 165,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23699164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkright01121999/pseuds/Hawkright01121999, https://archiveofourown.org/users/some1upoyo/pseuds/some1upoyo
Summary: The Trickster won a game rigged against him. The odds were zero in his favour and yet he still won, but the cost of such a victory is hollow.The Phantom Thieves fell in the final battle against Yaldabaoth leaving Joker the only one remaining. He won, but in the end even that was not enough. Mementos and reality has fused together and mankind is gone.After seeing the outcome of the Trickster winning a rigged game, Lavenza and Igor give Akira another chance to avert ruin, another chance at happiness, only this time in a different reality. In this reality it’s up to Akira to rig the game in the Trickster’s favour.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Kurusu Akira/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 1678
Kudos: 1515





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, Hawkright back with another fanfic that I’ll start and won’t get passed three chapters unless I’m having a procrastination period! Yay!
> 
> If anyone wants to use my old fanfics and build upon them, feel free to do so, just send me a PM or something to let me know. I always love reading new fics.
> 
> The premise behind this one is me thinking “Fuck, what if P5 Joker was in P5R? What if the P5R Joker was Female?” and that’s why we’re here. I finished P5R and was like I need more.
> 
> Of course also need sprinkle that little dash of hurt and comfort.

How long had it been now?

It felt like hours had passed since Joker was the last one standing, the leader of the Phantoms Thieves of Heart standing against Yaldabaoth, the God of Control.

What was the point?

Akira didn’t need to look behind him to know that he was the only one. The personae within his mind writhed and screamed in anguish; the bonds that created them had dulled and brittle over the course of the Phantom Thieves' final fight.

Mother Harlot and her seven-headed beast howled in silent indignant wrath, poisonous breath roiling and seeking to choke the one who felled Noir.

Ongyo-Ki was akin to the center of a hurricane, a calm before the storm. Akira’s heart clenched in his chest with familial anguish. Sweet innocent Oracle.

Cybele, diety of the natural elements cried out in despair, flowers wishing to bloom over a body still warm. Queen’s chest lay still.

The ancient one-eyed god, Odin the Furious stared up imperiously at the _thing_ that dared call itself a god. Fox fell clutching Usumidori, a warrior’s death. Akira bit back the tears stinging his eyes. It was still death, no matter the type.

The ultimate personae of the Lovers and the Chariot, Ishtar and Chi-You were unlike the others. They raged and warred within the depths of Joker’s mind, the fruits of his bonds with the two who’d been with him since everything began. Now they were the only remaining proof of his bonds to Panther and Skull.

The two fell protecting each other to the very end, but even so, they were the first to die protecting the rest of the team from Yaldabaoth’s rays of control.

Futsunushi, the god of swords simmered and boiled with an almost all-consuming rage. Joker could feel beneath his mask as it tried to force its way to the surface, begging to be brought out, to engage against the one who felled Mona.

Mona…

The guide of the Velvet Room and the heritor of humanity's last hopes. Joker’s closest confidant, Mona had lived with him ever since he had decided to stay with him.

And now the heritor of hope had fallen.

The tears didn’t stop this time. They fell as Joker fought desperately to choke back his sobs.

And so too had everything else fallen.

Akira could feel it within his bones, in the very depths of the sea of souls. The wind carried its song to him up in the pinnacles of the heavens itself.

Unrelenting.

Unceasing.

Silence.

They’d failed.

 _He’d failed_.

Even as he continued to fight, Metatron, the ultimate persona of the Justice arcana and proof of Joker’s bond with Akechi stood on steel wings and mask before him. For a single moment, Joker could hear the silence all the way up from where he fought in a desperate anguished battle.

How long had the silence been there? Interrupted by the last despairing and futile actions of the Phantom Thieves leader?

How long had it been since Mementos fused with reality? Since he’d felt the last soul below disappear into the public unconsciousness, never to be brought back?

Too long.

**IT IS FUTILE**

**YOU HAVE LOST**

Joker looked up with unshed eyes to the one who’d been called by the public unconsciousness desires, the Holy Grail. Yaldabaoth.

**THERE IS NO LONGER A POINT TO THIS**

**THE ONES WHOM’S BONDS YOU’VE FORGED NO LONGER EXIST**

Joker grit his teeth.

He knew.

He _knew_ dammit!

He’d felt the rest of his bonds dull and crack as everyone else disappeared.

Kohryuu.

Lakshmi.

Attis.

Alice.

Beelzebub.

Mada.

Lucifer.

Sandalphon.

Asura-Ou.

Satan.

Each one of them had howled in defiance, in futile rebellion as each bond dulled until only one-side of their bond remained. Joker’s heart clenched as more and more of those he cared about were purged from the face of reality. Until he was alone again.

Only two of his bonds remained.

Even in Joker’s darkest hour Vishnu and Zaou-Gongen refused the coming fate. So long as their master lived, they would fight.

And so would Joker.

He may have failed to avert Ruin but he would not fail the bonds he’d forged. He would not compromise his ideals, the ideals of everyone he’d cared about, even till the very end. He wouldn’t fail them.

If it meant making a deal with the devil himself he’d make sure this God died. Even if it killed him he’d ensure that _everything_ the Phantom Thieves and everyone else had suffered would not end in nothing.

Yaldabaoth looked down at the one who’s rehabilitation he’d once watched over. He was the administrator who’d guided mankind towards proper development.

And when Mankind proved its foolishness?

It was the administrator’s duty to purge them.

Now there was only one more being in the annals of Mankind’s history to purge.

**MY CONTROL IS THE ULTIMATE TRUTH OF THIS WORLD**

“...I don’t care.”

**HMM?**

“I said, “I don’t care!” Joker roared, the personae beneath his mask roiling in agitation. “I don’t care about what you say! I’ll take back this world from you!”

**HMPH…. EVEN NOW YOU FIGHT**

**THERE IS NO ONE LEFT FOR YOU TO FIGHT FOR**

**IT IS FUTILE**

“And?” Joker retorted coldly. “This is Mankind’s world... I may be alone, but I’ll never leave this world in your hands! The world where my bonds were made!” Joker yelled out before breathing heavily, the wounds accumulating on his own body drawing out his fatigue.

**THE PRECIOUS BONDS YOU HAVE FORGED ARE BROKEN**

**GONE AND PURGED FROM MANKIND’S HISTORY**

**YOU ARE ALONE**

The undeniable truth hit Joker like a truck once more but even in the face of that truth, he would not back down. “They may be gone, but the bonds that I’ve made… they’ll never disappear!” Joker growled, his mask glowing blue with flames.

**_Your journey is coming to an end…_ **

Joker let out a grim smile as a voice resounded in the depths of his soul. A voice that had once said they’d convene once more at the end.

**_Are you ready? The time is now…_ **

“I’m ready…”

**_Then call me forth.  
  
  
From the depths of your soul, _ **

**_I stayed and now I return._ **

**_Forged anew in the Sea of Souls,_**

**_Stoked by the flames of your bonds_ **

**_I am reborn._ **

**_In_** **_your final hour,_ **

**_I shall answer to your call once more…_ **

Red gloved hands reached up to grasp at the mask that hid his identity, a mask that was a symbol of his rebellion.

No longer.

There was no use in hiding.

He’d face the coming ruin and he would _rebel._ He would face the end looking forward.

**_CALL MY NAME!_ **

“ **Heed my call, Satanael!** ” Joker roared as he tore off his mask, the last remnants of his power coalescing behind him.

Behind him formed a being reminiscent of an archangel, but far deadlier. With six titanic black wings and immense size comparable to Yaldabaoth himself floated the form of Satan before he’d fallen from lofty heights of Heaven. A halo of demon wings spun atop its head akin to a crown, and a mockery to the angel wings that spun above the God of Control.

The second son of God.

The rebel of Heaven.

The last rebelling hope of Mankind against the control of a god that sought to purge the final remnants.

**SO… YOU STILL FIGHT…**

**FOOL…!**

**THIS IS WHY MAN MUST BE PURGED!**

Rays of Control burst forth from Yaldabaoth’s chest, swirling and writhing through the air like dark tendrils of death seeking to kill Joker. In the span of a singular moment, they struck.

And did nothing.

They failed to even reach Joker, titanic wings shielding him as they simply disappeared as if they'd never existed.

**…!**

**IMPOSSIBLE!**

Joker could feel it in the air. Even in the public subconscious, where mankind had since joined, there would always be seeds of rebellion. No matter how tight the god’s grasp on the world, there would always be those that slipped through.

Even with those he cared about gone, Joker could feel the power of those bonds he’d create and strengthened surge within his soul. He could feel as the final vestiges of Mankind’s hope float in the air like little motes of light.

He held out his hands, willing… hoping… for those long gone to help him one final time. He watched as the vestigial light of mankind coalesced and strengthen him. Wounds that would surely have ended him healed and the fatigue that plagued his weary mind disappeared.

Joker stood tall with Satanael behind him. But even now… he wanted to make sure- no… _needed_ to ensure that this facsimile of a god was eradicated for all those that were lost, for those who could no longer be saved. Grasping his mask once more, he felt as the personae within humanity's sea of souls writhed and begged to be let free, to destroy the one who’d seek their destruction.

Who was he to deny them.

“ **Aargh!”** Joker snarled as he tore off his mask once more, blood spilling profusely to the floor of heaven.

With each drop of blood spawned a persona. From the weakest of them such as Jack Frost or Pixie to the ultimate persona of the Arcana. All of them he’d strengthen to their pinnacle. With the help of Justine and Caroline he’d completed the compendium, the proof that he’d successfully reached humanities Sea of Souls.

Now, the residents from the Sea of Souls stood united against an enemy so foul it had succeeded in wiping out humanity till one remained.

They would ensure it would fall before the one perished.

**H-HOW?!**

**YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT MUCH POWER!**

**YOUR REHABILITATION WAS NOT COMPLETE!**

Like bloodhounds, his persona rounded on Yaldabaoth, the fear in its voice almost tangible in the face of the Trickster’s persona.

Joker looked up at the God of Control with thinly concealed contempt. “I have lost everything… what more is my life if it means taking yours?” he asked in grim resolve.

**“Eradicate him…”**

The command was whispered but in the silence of the world, the words were like a gunshot.

The personae descended upon the God of Control.

Angels, Metatron leading the fray with Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, Sandalphon and many other angels of heaven following behind fell upon Yaldabaoth.

Demons like Incubus and Succubus, Satan and Lucifer and other denizens of hell rose up in defiance to a being that thought itself God.

Other Pantheons joined. Pantheons ranging from those that had fallen in ages past to those that still lived. From the well-known to the obscure. Odin, Ishtar, Futsunushi, Thor, Scathach, and many others united in mankind’s final battle.

No…

Joker’s final battle.

Mankind was gone and nothing he did would change that… but he’d make sure Yaldabaoth would never see the light of day. He’d take back this broken world.

Joker raised his pistol, the Tyrant Pistol, forged from the power of Lucifer. Behind him, he felt as Satanael did the same with a rifle of its own, filled with the power of Primal Sin.

**NO!**

**THIS CANNOT BE!**

Even with its almighty power, Yaldabaoth struggled to contend against the ceaseless tide of Persona that resided within the Sea of Souls. Angels descended, Demons rose, and gods, humans and monsters alike struck. When one would fall it would come back and continue the fight.

A single thought was all it took.

This being would _die_.

 **“Begone** … **”** Joker whispered as he pulled the trigger.

_*Bang*_

A bullet spiralled from Satanael’s rifle, shooting clean through Yaldabaoth’s pyramid-like head leaving cracks in its wake.

For one single moment… the world stood still.

**WHAT POWER…**

**IT SURPASSES MINE OWN…**

**A GOD BORN FROM THE WISHES OF THE MASSES…**

Behind Yaldabaoth, rays of light peeked through the clouds.

**SO… THIS… IS THE STRENGTH OF THE TRUEST TRICKSTER…**

**DAMN THAT IGOR… IT SEEMS HE WASN’T SPOUTING NONSENSE…**

Yaldabaoth uttered as its body faded into flakes of light, disappearing into the sky.

Joker stood there as the Persona he’d called forth returned to the Sea of Souls. Not to mankind's Sea of Souls, but to his own. With Yaldabaoth gone, Mementos disappeared with it and so too had the subconscious will of humanity. There was no longer a humanity to return to.

For a moment Akira Kurusu, leader of the Phantom Thieves and last survivor of a world fallen to ruin took in the sunrise. Below him, Tokyo stood silent and desolate.

Akira Kurusu, He Who Will Save The Souls Of Humanity, on the morning of Christmas Eve died alone atop the heavens bathed in the sunrise of a world fallen to ruin. A sunrise mankind would never see.

* * *

Akira’s eyes slowly eased open, taking in a familiar velvet blue. The feeling of a familiar mattress beneath him. He sat up on the bed but didn’t stand. Instead, he leaned against the wall, his head resting against the velvet blue of the prison interior.

An ugly feeling reared its head in his chest, a scream building in his throat.

“DAMMIT!” Akira roared in anguish and pain, the feelings he’d bottled up in his final hours flooding forth. He was brought low as he stumbled from the prison bed to his knees, guilt and heart-wrenching shame gnawing away at his heart.

Idly he could feel a small figure hug his side while a hand stroked his hair. Desperately, painfully, he grasped Lavenza in a tight hug, almost suffocating.

“Please… please don’t leave me…” Akira sobbed as held Lavenza tighter.

“You’ve done well Trickster,” Lavenza whispered as she returned the hug with a short hesitance. As a ruler of power, she was unaccustomed to human emotions, but in this instance where her Trickster was hurting, she would do her best.

Minutes trickled to hours before Akira’s sobs died down and he released Lavenza.

He looked over at the only other occupant aside from himself and Lavenza. A familiar old man with a large hooked nose and a lanky body stared back, the form eerily reminiscent of the one the God of Control once used. But now it was returned to its rightful owner.

Igor.

Igor’s usually smiling face was gone replaced with a grim but sad one. “You’ve done exceptionally well Trickster. In a game where the chances of you winning were zero, you still won,” Igor’s high-pitched voice congratulated Akira, but the three knew it was a hollow victory.

“I won… huh?” Akira looked at Igor, before looking down and clenching a red-gloved fist. “So why do I feel like I didn’t win at all…”

Igor and Lavenza looked at each other, an unconveyed message being sent between them. “Trickster… no… Akira,” Lavenza caught Joker’s attention. “You were not meant to win this game. There was no foreseeable way for you to win. This world was fated to ruin.”

Akira didn’t know what to feel. He should’ve felt anger or even indignant at least but all he felt was empty.

“So… it was all for nothing huh?” Akira muttered to himself.

“Not entirely.”

Akira looked at Lavenza and Igor.

“Ahem, if I may?” Igor coughed politely as he took over the conversation, “This world was headed for ruin. No matter the outcome Mankind was destined to die.”

Akira just looked at him.

“But it did not. You still remain, even when you were fated to lose you pulled this world from the very brink of ruin,” Igor said.

Akira shot up to his feet, hope splayed across his face. “Does that mean you can-?”

He was cut off as Igor raised a gloved hand, the hope washed from Akira’s face as he looked at their sombre expressions.

Igor shook his head “You pulled this world from the very brink, yes… but it shall stay at the brink. You are the only one left of Mankind, this world cannot be brought back.”

Akira slumped against the wall, the anguish resurging at those words. Memories of his failures cycling through his mind-

A hand snaked its way into his own and squeezed comfortingly. Akira looked down at Lavenza who gave him a small smile.

“This world may have fallen to ruin, but there are other worlds out there that can still be averted from the path of ruin,” Lavenza explained.

“You’d have me go to those worlds and what? Have me save them?” Akira asked sardonically, “I couldn’t even save my own! Everyone’s dead!”

Lavenza didn’t flinch at the Trickster’s words, able to feel the grief within him.

“Your world was rigged from the very beginning to lose, your death an assurance but you broke through that. In worlds that aren’t rigged so heavily…” Igor spoke up.

“And why would I save those worlds?” Akira breathed out as his energy left him. “As far as I know, those worlds have nothing to do with me.”

Lavenza squeezed his hand.

“In these worlds, the Phantom Thieves have yet to fall.”

Akira froze.

“…What?” he whispered quietly, barely above a breath.

“These worlds have yet to be set upon the path of ruin, the one you call the Phantom Thieves have yet to be formed. The path to ruin has yet to begin. You can avert their demise. If you so choose to accept of course,” Igor explained.

Akira desperately wanted to agree, just the thought of seeing them again made his heart burst.

But reality was a cruel mistress.

“They won’t be my friends though… they’re not my Ryuji, my Ann, my Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru… Morgana…” Akira swallowed heavily.

“No… they wouldn’t…” Lavenza agreed sadly, “But would you leave them to their fate?”

No…

He would never be able to do that.

“But what about my world? I can’t just leave it behind… I’m the last of my worlds mankind…” Akira murmured, heart racing but his mind being pushed all over the place.

“You wouldn’t have to leave it behind,” Igor said almost smugly, but the nature of their conversation prevented anything other than a quiet seriousness. “As you know this place is beyond time and space, mind and matter. There are many things that are within my domain of power. I once forged the being known as Morgana from the dregs of human hope at my weakest. At my strongest?”

Igor held up a gloved hand almost as if he were clutching something small within the tips of his fingers.

Akira felt the world go sideways before right-side up. When he looked back at Igor he was holding a shining clear crystal pendant. A pendant that called out to Akira.

Igor allowed it to float freely in his palm. “I’m afraid I don’t have the power to bring your world back from ruin… no one does. I can at least reforge your world into this, to bring with you. A reminder of what you fought for, and should you so choose, fight for. I’m sorry I cannot do more for those that once lived there, they have passed.”

He let it float in the air for a scant moment before it made its way to Akira who let go of Lavenza and made to cradle the pendant. A reminder of the world he’d failed to save but also…

…also, a reminder of the bonds he’d shared.

He grasped it in his hands, even beneath his gloves he could feel the cold of the world bereft of mankind. Between his very fingers was the world in which mankind had fallen but at the same time was the world he’d forever cherish.

He clutched for a moment longer before slipping it over his head, allowing the pendant to rest on his chest, it’s cold seeping through the clothes of his Phantom Thief uniform, a constant reminder.

“…Thank you, Igor,” Akira acknowledged Igor before setting a hand on Lavenza’s hair ruffling it.

Lavenza leaned into it.

“Think nothing of its Trickster,” Igor shook his head. “I take it this means you accept?” he asked curiously.

“I do.” Akira looked at the master of the Velvet Room with a determined gaze. “If I can prevent what happened from happening again… I’ll do it. I- I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t accept… I’d be forsaking everything we stood for…”

“I could not say it better myself,” Igor nodded. “Something you need to understand before you depart is that as I have said before, the Velvet Room is a place between space and time. It stands at the centre of _all_ realities… but it also follows the flow of time of each reality.”

Akira stood there in confusion.

Lavenza leaned away from where she’d leaned into Akira’s hand. “What my master wishes to express is that as residents of the Velvet Room, we are the same Lavenza and Igor within each reality, however, from where one world which may have a slower flow of time, we would have the memories of that according time period. The opposite is also true.”

“So… if you were to send me to a reality which was in the past, you’d only have knowledge from that time and not of the future? But if you sent me to the future you’d have knowledge from up till that period?” Akira asked, trying to wrap his head around what they were saying.

“That is indeed correct,” Lavenza agreed happily, “You catch on quickly Trickster.”

“The reality we’ll be sending you too is one that has yet to be placed on the path of ruin, meaning that we shall have no knowledge of your actions as we shall not be within the Velvet Room,” Igor spoke, almost insinuatingly.

It hit Akira.

“Yaldabaoth…” Akira murmured before looking at Lavenza “… Justine and Caroline.”

“Yes, that will indeed be the case.” Igor nodded.

“Wouldn’t I be able to fight Yaldabaoth before that?” Akira questioned, “He’ll be weaker than he was in my world, won’t he?”

“While that would be the case, there are some things that must stay constant throughout each reality. Each reality is intrinsically entangled with one another, connected at these constant points within reality.” Igor shook his head.

“The God of Control can only be felled by the Trickster of their own reality, to do otherwise would unravel the fabric of reality,” Igor explained.

“…”

“Fret not, we shall supply you with the constants of the reality you’ll be sent to,” Igor noticed Akira’s silence. and answered the unasked question. “Lavenza, if you would do the honours?”

“Of course,” Lavenza bowed to her master before walking towards Akira and proffering a familiar small notebook.

Akira accepted it and was surprised by what it was. It was the same notebook Sojiro had once given to him at the beginning of his probation.

A sharp pain pierced his heart. Gathering himself for a moment he shook it off.

No one would die this time.

“This shall be your personal compendium. As you will be unable to utilize the Velvet Room without catching the attention of the malevolent being, we have decided that this would be the best course of action should you need the aid of your Persona,” Lavenza instructed with a gentle smile.

“Of course, you would normally be unable to fuse Persona without the use of a guillotine, as such it is fortuitous you have already completed the compendium," Lavenza nodded.

“You will be able to summon Persona along with itemizing them,” Igor spoke up. “Additionally, we’ve seen fit that the funds and equipment from your previous escapades as Trickster shall carry along with you.”

“Thank you… truly…” Akira grasped the notebook before placing it in his back pocket. He took a deep breath before kneeling down to Lavenza and opened his arms.

Lavenza gave him one last hug.

He gave Igor a look, a determined gaze within his eyes. Igor merely smiled.

“I’m ready…” Akira nodded.

“Understood,” Lavenza's eyes crinkled as she looked at him. “The reality you being sent to is near identical to your own with some variations, the most noticeable being the Trickster of that reality.”

Akira gave her a quizzical look.

“The Trickster of this reality is a variation of yourself, however, as a female. Other variations within this world shall have little hold in your ability to avert the coming ruin,” Lavenza said.

Igor clapped his hands together, “With that said and done. I wish you luck on your journey Truest of Tricksters, I long for the day when we shall meet again.”

Lavenza gave a fleeting smile. “The feeling is the same for myself.”

That was all the warning Akira received. In a flash of blue light, he was gone.

“The Trickster… he has endured much…” Igor mused as the two stayed in silence. “He has endured much but he is close to breaking. I truly hope we’ve done the best we can.”

Lavenza agreed. “He deserves better than what fate has given him.”

* * *

_*knock knock*_

“Room Service!” a voice shouted from somewhere.

Akira’s eyes snapped open as he shot up, unfortunately, it seemed he’d been trapped by some manner of- oh… it was just some bedsheets.

It all suddenly came rushing back to him.

He clutched at his head, barely aware as whoever was at the door didn’t enter and instead moved on, the sound of trolley wheels rattling as they moved. It felt like a hand was grasping at his heart, clutching at it within its grasp, emotions warring in the heart and in the mind. Heat, _unbearable heat surrounding his chest, pressing downwards, hard to breathe! Help-_

Cold

A cold washed over him, Akira gasped for air as his chest eased up, idly he looked down a noticed the pendant forged from his ruined world seemed to give off a light luminescent shine.

He could feel a sensation of a hand on his shoulder but when he tried to look over his shoulder, there was no one there. Looking back down he saw the shine emanating from the pendant fade, and with it the sensation on his shoulder.

Akira collapsed to the floor, his back against the bed frame of the mattress he’d been on and for several moments took in the sheer fact he was _alive and he was in a world where the Phantom Thieves had yet to DIE!_

He scrambled to his feet and looked around frantically, out of the corner of his eyes he spotted it on the opposite side of the mattress.

His phone.

He lunged over the bed, flopping onto the mattress as his hand grasped onto the phone. Bringing it towards his face he looked at the date.

Three years before the end of the world.

He remembered he’d died on Christmas Eve, almost a year since he’d begun his probation. That meant he had three years before this world began its path to Ruin and the Trickster of this world joined the game.

At this moment, it actually hit Akira what he was doing. He was in another world trying to save it, _what was he thinking he couldn’t even save his own-_

Cold

Before the sensation was like a hand on his shoulder but now it felt like the comforting sensation of a hug, cold but familiar. Looking down he saw that the pendant was once again shining

_ We believe in you _

The words filled his mind. He finally understood why this sensation felt so familiar. This was the feeling he got when Sojiro accepted him into his family, to be the son he never had and to be the brother Futaba deserved.

He could feel tears trace their ways down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” Akira whispered as his throat burned, eyes closed as he leaned into the sensation, phantom arms closing around him while a phantom body joined his side.

_ We forgive you _

It felt like hours before the phantom sensation faded away, the light from his pendant dulling once more.

Wiping his face Akira looked up to the ceiling.

The pain that rooted itself deep in his heart eased the slightest bit, but to Akira, it felt like the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

“I won’t fail… not this time. I promise.”

There was no response, but Akira would stand by that promise. He would avert this world's Ruin, he would make sure of it.

Standing up he looked around for a moment and found a briefcase and a suitcase sitting at the base of his bed, leaning down he clicked open briefcase and found it filled to the brim with stacks of yen.

Memories of when he and the rest of the Phantom Thieves had spent time during flu season to kill the Reaper or go around brainwashing shadows. They'd done it so many times they'd each wracked up a sizable amount of funds. It always amazed Akira how even with such a veritable nest egg, Yusuke would somehow spend it all on art supplies.

A small smile came to his face as he remembered how they’d all wait for the Reaper and allow it to die with the fear condition. Oracle would always complain after a couple of hours but considering everyone got a cut of the rewards, she was more than happy to sit in Prometheus for a couple of hours and get millions of yen for doing nothing.

Looking down Ren counted what was probably the cumulative total of everyone’s savings. “I’ll put this to good use guys…” Akira whispered as he closed the briefcase with a click and moved on to the suitcase.

Opening it he found it filled with things that would have most definitely gotten him arrested had a police officer chosen to come in at that moment.

Realistic foam knives, air-soft guns, medicines of dubious legality he’d gotten from Tae, several sets of clothes and other assorted equipment such as lockpicks and smoke bombs to name a few. Idly Akira ran a finger over a black kogatana but recoiled as it sliced open his finger.

“Wha-?”

He watched as it morphed into a large demonic-looking dagger, closer to a short sword than anything. In the back of his mind, he felt Satanael disappear. He hesitantly moved his hand forward before grasping onto the dagger. It felt real.

He looked over at the other weapons in the suitcase, running his hands along them, he could immediately tell something alarming.

They were all real.

Hastily he placed the demonic dagger, ‘Paradise Lost’ his mind supplied and shut the suitcase closed. He took a shuddering breath as he remembered the probationary book that Lavenza had given him.

Reaching into his back pocket he took it out and opened it. Within the first section was the probationary log he’d once filled out. He ran a finger over them before flipping to the second section.

In large red marker at the top of the very first page of the second section were the words “Constant Events”.

The very first one caused Akira’s heart to plummet.

> Death of Wakaba Isshiki and confiscation of research

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I know some of you will say that Akira’s acclimating too fast to everything but I would like to specify that he’s NOT okay. 
> 
> All I’m gonna say on that end cause FORESHADOWING! If I ever get there of course.
> 
> But yeah P5 Akira in P5R world. FeMC cause fuck it why not, this does not mean ****** Yoshizawa is FeMC, she’ll still be here. FeMC is literally a female version of Akira.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira needed to follow through with ensuring that reality's constant occurs.
> 
> But... 
> 
> Certain complications arise as he does so.
> 
> Some out of his control.
> 
> Some of his own making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I was writing this I found out a few interesting facts. Akechi and the protagonist AREN’T the same age. Akechi is 18 and the protagonist is 16. I also found out that Yoshizawa and Futaba are both 15. 
> 
> Mind blown: For some reason, I always thought the Futaba was younger.
> 
> Let’s get this shitshow on the road!

There were a few things Akira gathered he’d need to do before setting out in search of Wakaba Isshiki as he left the hotel he’d woken up at. First, he’d need to quickly get some accommodations, something of which was easier said than done. Theoretically, he could buy a house with a portion of the money he’d received but that therein led into another problem.

Igor had failed to mention that sending him two years back into this reality would consequently revert his age as well. It was impossible for a fourteen-year-old to purchase a house through legal means without parental consent.

That was through legal means, however. There were two ways to purchase a house in Japan.

The first was to be above the age of twenty and purchase a deed through legal channels. The second was to go through dubious connections and purchase it through an intermediary, typically deals within these fashions are done by the more underground of Japan’s populace. And while Akira may not have had any dubious connections, he certainly knew exactly where to find one.

Thankfully he still had another week before his stay was up at the hotel, so after doing a quick search on the average cost of a house (some of which boggled Akira making him quite glad of his forays against the Reaper, selling the treasures he’d find, and brainwashing shadows) and gathering twenty million yen into a new sturdy metal briefcase, Akira made his ways into the underground of Shibuya commonly associated with the darker sides of Japan.

The first thing Akira did was search for a specific overpass, the same overpass Iwai had brought him too when cutting off his deal with Akimitsu Tsuda. Akira was many things but a believer in coincidences wasn’t one of them, chances were that the under-side walkway of the overpass was one of the local yakuza’s meet up spots. Given how when Masa had held up Kaoru and Iwai, Tsuda seemed to know exactly where to find his henchman it was likely a common area for the yakuza.

Arriving at the overpass it seemed he was right. Loitering around the edges of the walkway were a few males, ranging from their late teens to early twenties, an air of danger around them.

“I’d suggest you turn around kid,” one particularly rough-looking teen commented as he noticed Akira’s steady approach. When Akira didn’t say anything, he took it to himself to try a more intimidating approach.

“Oi! Kid! I said beat it!” he growled, his colleagues noticed the commotion but merely watched on as the fourteen-year-old was threatened.

Akira looked up at him, inwardly cursing that his body was shorter than it had been previously. Not because the man was intimidating but because he missed his old height where he didn’t need to strain his neck to meet other people’s eyes.

“I’m looking for Akimitsu Tsuda,” Akira said breezily.

Each of the yakuza tensed. The one that was in Akira’s face grabbed him by the lapels of his coat, bringing the two face-to-face.

“What the hell do you think you’re playing at punk?” the yakuza growled.

Akira looked at him disinterestedly. A hand flashed forward, a palm-strike to the man’s throat sent him sprawling to the ground clutching at his airways in an effort to breathe. It was always useful knowing how to temporarily close air passages.

Akira looked around as each of the Yakuza got into sloppy fighting stances with a myriad of weapons ranging from knuckle-dusters to switch-blades. “I’m looking for Akimitsu Tsuda. I wish to make a deal with him,” Akira repeated professionally.

“Wh-Why the fuck would we take you to him you l-little shitstain?!” the choking yakuza member sputtered as he staggered to his feet warily.

Akira didn’t say anything but instead opened the metal briefcase he had on-hand. “Then I’m sure you’d like to explain to your boss why he's losing out on a good deal.”

He smirked as they quickly ushered him into a car, blindfolded him and drove off.

* * *

Akira soon found himself in a well-lit lavish room with no windows, but otherwise could be a nice room found within a club. Honestly, it was remarkably similar to the one Kaneshiro had once used to blackmail the Phantom Thieves before Makoto had joined them.

“So, you’re the shit that hit one of my boys,” Tsuda’s glasses glinted as they flashed, his men standing around the couch he was sitting on. Off to the side, Akira saw the henchman he’d struck holding a bag of ice over his throat. “You’ve got a set on you kid…. take a seat,” Tsuda motioned over to the other couch situated across from him, a coffee table between the two.

“Let’s get down to business,” Tsuda leaned forward with his elbows on his knees “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t have you shot and take your damn money. You’ve crossed the yakuza kid, you’re in deep.”

Akira merely looked at him unphased, staring down the face of a fake god was much more intimidating than a local yakuza lieutenant.

“This is only a down-payment for if our deal goes through. If you kill me this is all you’ll get,” Akira stared Tsuda down. He knew this game of intimidation and subjugation, if you didn’t submit to either, you'd get what you want. It was the same with Iwai and it’d be the same with Tsuda, they were oath-brothers after all. Their honour and pride wouldn’t allow them for anything else.

Of course, had it been after Tsuda loses the deal on New Year in two years from now with the Hong Kong mafia, this would be an entirely different story. Akira would be sitting on the couch with a hole through his head and brain matter blasted out the back.

Tsuda leered at him for a moment, before nodding. “Seriously got a fucking pair on you kid, how much are we talking about and what do you want? Need to cross my T’s and dot my I’s.”

Akira leaned lazily into the palm of his hand. “Ninety million yen.”

Tsuda’s eyes widened behind his glasses before narrowing. “Well, well… that’s one hell of a score if I’ve ever heard one. Where does a kid like you get money like that… and what’s the deal?”

Akira leaned back his hand folding into his lap relaxed, “I need a house, permanent residence for the foreseeable future.”

“And why the hell does a kid like you need one? Ain’t you meant to be living with your parents or something?” Tsuda probed, already noting how Akira hadn’t explained how he’d acquired the money.

Akira gave a brittle smile. “What reason does a kid my age go to the yakuza just to buy a house?” he asked leadingly.

Tsuda nodded in understanding. You didn’t live as a yakuza lieutenant for nearing ten years without understanding there’s some shit you didn’t continue asking about.

“And the money?”

“I’ll admit that it wasn’t acquired legally, but it wasn’t acquired illegally either,” Akira answered but received a negative from Tsuda.

“I don’t care about shit like that, all I care about is that this money isn’t connected to anyone. We don’t want a turf war cause some gang’s breathing down our neck, you hear?” Tsuda leered at the teen.

“There is no one alive that would be able to lay claim to the money,” Akira paused in thought, choosing his words carefully, “If anyone tried to... I’d be displeased.” It was impossible for anyone else to lay claim to his funds. It’d come from Mementos after all and the only people who even knew about how it had been acquired had fallen.

Tsuda looked at the teen for a moment before calling over one of his henchmen, issued some orders to which the henchman quickly vacated the room. Leaning back into the couch he smiled at Akira, “Just looking over some things, it won’t take a moment.”

True to his words the henchman returned with a folder to which Tsuda quickly swiped out of his hands. There was an analytical gleam in his eyes as he skimmed the contents of the folder, looking over at Akira as he did so who merely gave a genial smile in return.

Tsuda snapped the folder shut and laid it on the table closed.

“How quickly do you need that house and where do you want it?” Tsuda asked.

Akira couldn’t help but grin.

“Somewhere around Shibuya, I’m not too fussed. However, if it could be closer Yongen-Jaya, that would be greatly appreciated. I need it within the week. Two-to-four rooms.”

Tsuda nodded, his right-hand man writing down the request the moment Tsuda asked his question. “We can have one ready for you within the week, would you like it furnished?”

Akira wouldn’t admit it but he was surprised by how accommodating Tsuda was being, but he wasn’t about to turn away a horse with a gift in its mouth. “Furnished please, I’ll pay an extra ten million for you to use,” Akira paused, “Can you make it so that the deed is under my name?”

“Of course, whatever you need,” Tsuda gave a professional smile, “Your name?”

Akira stood up and held out his hand. “Akira Kurusu, a pleasure to do business with you Tsuda. I hope this will be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Tsuda looked at his hand. “Same for us Kurusu-san,” he took the hand giving it a firm shake, “My boys will drop you off back in Shibuya, do you have anywhere you need to be?”

Akira shook his head. With business done the two exchanged contact information before he followed Tsuda’s men out the door, surprisingly without a blindfold.

…

“Fucking hell…” Tsuda swore the moment the door closed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He looked contemplatively at the manila folder and the twenty million yen within the briefcase that’d been left behind. “What a right fucking mess we’ve gotten into…”

“Tsuda-san?” his right-hand man queried with a look of confusion.

Tsuda didn’t say anything, instead, he re-opened the folder and splayed out its contents across the coffee table, within there were photos of multiple dead bodies of wealthy men and women. “The mafia gang in Shibuya, it’s undergoing new-management correct?” he asked as he looked over the documents.

“Uh- I mean, yes!” Tsuda’s right-hand-man, Onoi nodded, “We’ve gotten word from above that the executives of the Shibuya mafia started dropping left and right. Just fell dead, no injuries or tells, no signs of poison or internal damage either. Why do you ask sir?”

Tsuda grunted noncommittedly.

“...Sir?”

“You don’t live this long in the Yakuza by being an idiot Onoi,” Tsuda commented as he motioned for one of his men to pour him something strong. A second later and a glass of amber liquor was in the palm of his hands. He downed the whole glass in a single motion.

“And you sure as shit don’t become a lieutenant in Tokyo’s Yakuza by believing in coincidences,” Tsuda enjoyed the burn as he set the glass down, the buzz calming down his frayed nerves. “What kind of kid his age walks up to Yakuza, goddamn _orders_ them for a meeting, attacks them, and then makes a deal with them?”

Onoi was unsure what to say. Thankfully Tsuda continued his spiel, completely ignoring him. Tsuda gave another motion and the glass was refilled.

“I’ll tell you who. One who isn’t scared of the consequences. One who’s done this shit before, and walked away unscathed,” he answered as he picked up the glass but merely stared at its amber depths.

All the other men within the room stayed quiet as their boss spoke. Absentmindedly Tsuda looked up at them, at each and every one of them.

“Any of you boys seen that kid before? Any of you talked to him about me?”

A round of negatives came throughout the room.

“Alright… then for the sake of hypotheticals, how do you think that kid knew you were Yakuza? How in the bloody fuck did a fourteen-year-old know one of our meet-up spots?” Tsuda asked as took a swig.

Each man within the room was on edge. Questions like these weren’t good ones, it usually meant there was a traitor within the ranks. Noticing his men’s tension, he waved a hand.

“Nothing against anyone let me make that clear, just purely hypothetical,” Tsuda clarified. “But that doesn’t still doesn’t change the fact that this kid knew exactly who we are and _who I am_ ,” he stressed.

“Should we do something about him boss?” the one with the ice bag over his throat asked.

Tsuda snorted into his glass, “If you’ve got a death wish, go for it. Pretty sure he’ll end up sending you back in a body bag or something.”

Cold washed over the room.

“S-Sir?” Onoi questioned hesitantly.

Tsuda set the glass down and looked down at the briefcase filled with yen. “Kurusu said that he’d be displeased if anyone came to claim this… you know what the means?” he looked up at Onoi, “This right here is blood money… and I’m sure you’ve all figured exactly where it came from.”

“Sir, are you sure you aren’t just jumping to conclusions?” Onoi asked.

“Like I said… I don’t believe in coincidences. Shibuya mafia’s higher-ups start dropping like flies and some kid makes a goddamn hundred-million deal for a fucking house?”

Tsuda shook his head at Onoi’s stupid question but he’d let it slide this once. 

“If you ask me, I’m pretty damned sure we’ve just met the one who’s been taking the local mafia out, and it seems he's setting up shop in Shibuya…” Tsuda reclined into the lounge but rolled his head to look at his men. “Let me make one thing clear to all of you. You’re all gonna listen to whatever that kid says. If he says to jump, the only damn thing that better come out of your mouths are the words “how high?” am I understood?”

“Sir!”

“Good…” Tsuda nodded. “If Kurusu wants to make a deal with us we’ll take it. I’d rather deal with the devil I know than have someone else deal with him and drop to the floor cause I wouldn’t buy a house… and if he wants to pay an absurd amount for it, who am I to argue?”

Tsuda got one more refill.

“I think we just got one hell of a deal for us boys… only thing now is to find out how much it’ll profit or cost us…” Tsuda swigged the final glass and placed it down with a click. He looked up.

“What the fuck are you all doing, go house shopping you morons!”

His men scrambled around like rats.

* * *

Akira was pleasantly surprised by how swift Tsuda and his men had been able to procure him a residence. He was now the proud owner of a two-story house in the middle of a residential district a few streets away from the outskirts of Yongen-Jaya. It had taken less than a day before Tsuda had sent him an address that fit Akira’s description. Tsuda and one of his men, Onoi, or something or the other had shown up at the hotel Akira was staying at and brought him to the residence.

The two-story house was large for a single person, far larger than what Akira had in mind but it’d suit his purposes. With three bedrooms, a laundry room with a washing machine and a dryer, a kitchen and a living room, all fully furnished and stocked, it was certainly somewhere Akira could see himself living for the next three years.

After paying the remaining eighty-million yen, Akira internally wincing at the large amount of money he’d spent, and he was now the proud owner of a quaint residence near the edge of Yongen-Jaya and Shibuya. He had a little over fifty-million remaining so he’d someday he’d need to stock up again, and by stock up, it meant he’d need to find some shadows to brainwash ruthlessly with their seemingly endless amounts of cash.

“We’ve taken the liberty of talking with some of our contacts within the police and had some nice ‘chats’ with the realtors of the property. As far as anyone’s concerned, this place is owned by a twenty-year-old going by Akira Kurusu, so no need to worry about inspections from the CPS or anything like that,” Tsuda informed him professionally after Akira signed some paperwork, and handed over the briefcase of cash.

He noted that Tsuda hadn’t bothered to confirm if the agreed amount was actually in there, but it wasn’t like he was about to cheat over the yakuza anytime soon.

Akira just looked at the residence. At fourteen he’d done something he hadn’t thought he’d be doing back when he was sixteen. Akira let out a snort. There was a lot of things he’d done that he’ never thought he’d have done, buying a house was at the bottom of a very long list.

“Is there anything else you require?”

Akira thought about it for a moment. “How do you feel about creating some ID’s?”

Tsuda didn’t even bat an eye, “Kurusu-san, that’s something we do every other day. Give us a week and we can have a solid history for you.”

“Cost?”

“A million.”

One of Akira’s black brows rose, “That’s cheaper than I’d been expecting. I’ll have the money ready once you’ve set it up.”

“I’ll contact you once it’s set up. For the moment you should be fine without any identification until then,” Tsuda nodded. “Is there anything else you need?”

Akira gave the large house a look over.

“Would you mind finding me a housemate?”

It was Tsuda’s time to raise a brow.

* * *

Once Akira had finished setting up his meagre possessions compared to the large house, he immediately noticed one significant setback to finding Wakaba Isshiki. The thing was that even though he wouldn’t have been able to find her in the real world, he’d been counting on finding her through the Metaverse.

This presented a problem in and of itself since the Metaverse navigation app was no longer on his phone, and wouldn’t ever be since Yaldabaoth as Igor was the one that handed it out… or at least that’s how Akira had figured it had been.

Looking over his belongings, Akira opened up his suitcase and looked at the array of weaponry sitting innocently inside.

 _‘I should buy a case for these… and maybe a holster,”_ ran through his mind as he picked up Paradise Lost and Tyrant Pistol. He wasn’t entirely sure if his weaponry would be brought with him if he entered the Metaverse since they were here so it was better to be safe than sorry. Tucking Paradise Lost into the length of his blazer’s sleeve and Tyrant Pistol in the waistband of his pants.

Closing the suitcase and grabbing the keys to the house he began to make his way to Shibuya. Unfortunately, since there wasn’t a nearby station aside from Yongen-Jaya and Shibuya, his only real choice of transportation was walking straight to the station. Maybe he’d buy a bike or something.

Even without the Metaverse app, Akira wasn’t about to give up trying to access the Metaverse; as such the easiest place to find the closest such access point, this, of course, being Mementos.

Akira wasn’t ready for the rapid throbbing that consumed his chest the moment he stepped into Central Square. Even though he’d been in Shibuya just a day ago, he hadn’t really been able to look around since he’d gone so early in the morning that daylight had yet to break. But now, with the shining light and the bustling of the city, he finally realised.

Shibuya was _alive_.

Akira took a seat and just took it all in, the foot traffic, the wind blowing in the winter turning into the spring air, and the general bustle of life. This was what he was fighting for. A world averted from ruin, from a moment of endless silence before being shorn from reality.

Grasping onto his pendant, Akira took a deep breath and all too suddenly he the throb dissipated and the sensations of realisations that threatened to overwhelm him faded to nothing.

Looking at the Shibuya station entrance he felt as the pendant burned in his hand, a feeling of _insistence_ burrowing its way through his mind.

It was hard to explain, the ability to understand the subconscious thoughts of a dead world, but Akira could feel his dead world and this one overlap for just the briefest of moments, his entire being used as a channel between the two. Two worlds recognising each other’s history, events and histories near-identical to each other that neither was able to understand which was the original and which wasn’t; thus causing them to merge and fuse for a singular moment.

Red overtook his vision as he entered Mementos.

* * *

Akira grinned.

He’d honestly took a gamble with the pendant but he had the feeling he’d have been able to use it to enter Mementos. Igor and Lavenza weren’t ones to overlook something as large as being unable to access the Metaverse.

Of course, that left the problem of finding Wakaba. Normally they’d enter their target’s name into the Metaverse app but that only worked if the person’s desires were distorted. He knew that this version of Wakaba was likely to follow his world’s so the chances were that she was hyper-focused on her research but he had the feeling that that wouldn’t have been enough of a distortion.

And there was the added fact he once more didn’t have the app itself.

His solution was the splitting migraine that consumed his mind as two facets of himself, two personae lunged so violently to the forefront of his mind he almost felt the two of them materialise into Mementos. Clutching at his mask he struggled to get the two under control.

Kohryuu and Ongyo-Ki.

The two warred for a moment for control, to be the one to find Wakaba. Eventually, Kohryuu gave in and receded before returning to his Sea of Souls while Ongyo-Ki became the persona Joker would call upon beneath his mask. With an almost whining insistence, he could feel as his persona urged him to delve into the depths of Mementos.

Taking the time to ensure that Paradise Lost and the Tyrant Pistol had joined him, to which he noticed that even equipment he hadn’t brought with him on his person such as all of his restorative items had joined him.

Looking down he noticed his clothes were slightly different to what he’d normally wear. He still had his coat but its length was shorter, only to his knees rather than shin-length, his baggy pants were replaced by a tighter fit but a still just as mobile pair, and black combat boots donning his feet. A pair of black gloves took over his red and even on his face he instinctively knew that his mask had changed from a white jagged pair to a smooth black one.

Akira supposed with everything that had occurred this was inevitable. The clothes a Persona-user wore was a representation of their rebellion and the path they’ve chosen in pursuit of that rebellion.

Ryuji rebelled against the oppression of adults who would seek to harm others and push them down all the while climbing higher. His own attire reflected his personal demons, the wish to be strong, to fight against Kamoshida’s reign, some of his attire tying directly to those personal demons. The kneecaps and protective attire he’d worn on his knees, one of which Kamoshida had shattered was proof that in the pursuit of protecting others he’d never forget where he’d begun and he wouldn't allow it to happen again.

Ann rebelled against what everyone thought of her. Some had thought of her as Kamoshida’s whore, and even after taking Kamoshida down, there were still rumours that had floated every now and then. Her Panther catsuit showed her rebellion by being comfortable in who she was and that no matter what people said she would be who she decided to be and not what other people thought her to be.

Yusuke out of all the Phantom Thieves had been different. Yusuke’s rebellion was directly tied to his passion and personality, a unique eccentricity that while unobtrusive was highly noticeable to anyone that had known him. His rebellion was to see the truth with unclouded eyes, just like those of a fox. Or perhaps it was because of his passion with Japanese Art that in turn reflected a more Japanese outfit. Yusuke's was the only one Joker had never been able to properly figure out

Makoto’s rebellion was a rebellion against society, against tying herself to sate the wishes of others. She’d rebelled against the principal, her sister and everyone’s expectation of her being a no-good pushover and it showed with her attire of a modern biker.

Futaba’s attire was more directly connected to her abilities as a strategist and her persona Prometheus. She didn’t rebel against society as a whole but against those who’d sought her mother’s research.

Haru’s was rebellion against being tied down to a disgusting fiancee and a wish for a chance to live her own life, her attire reflected it by being that of a traditional phantom thief to steal her life away from others and live as she saw fit.

Akechi’s… his was different. Both of his exemplified how he saw rebellion but both were intrinsically different. His rebellion was that of against justice as Crow and a rebellion against Shido as Black Mask. One was a pure white on the side of justice while the other was rage against a vile man.

Finally, Morgana. Morgana’s clothes were that of an explorer, a reminder of his birth when he’d first explored Palaces and Mementos in search of Joker. A life in search of He Who Will Save The Souls Of Humanity, and a rebellion against the god who sought to control mankind.

And just like them, Joker’s clothes were representative of his rebellion. He would rebel against society and help others, he would perform sacrilegious acts all in the name of his own justice. Once he’d worn a white mask and red gloves against black clothes with a similarly black duster, a symbol that as much as he didn’t want to be seen a part of him yearned to be noticed.

But now, being clad in black and the lack of style in his clothes save for pure practicality, Joker finally understood that that part of him was gone. In its place was a person that had thrown away his personal rebellion and replaced it with the wish to save others. If he was meant to rig the game for the Trickster of this world then he needed to do it unseen and unheard. He would save this world and if all went accordingly, not a single person but he would know.

Looking forward into the mouth of Mementos, Joker heeded Ongyo-Ki and descended into its depths.

* * *

Joker will admit that the moment he found Wakaba he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Even now as he looked down from his perch amongst the tangle of Mementos’ veins down at Wakaba Isshiki’s shadow; the very same perch he’d been sitting at for the last six hours, he wasn’t sure what he was meant to do.

After all, she was meant to _DIE_. There were no if’s or buts about it. In order for this reality to continue on its chance of aversion from Ruin, Wakaba Isshiki had to die. Her shadow simply stood there muttering to herself, the most noticeable being that about her research while little snippets being about Futaba. Joker found it strange to see a shadow that reflected a normal person rather than someone with distorted desires.

The room he was in was the exact same room the Phantom Thieves would normally find Shadows of requests from the Phan-Site, like that of Nakanohara, so it was easy to evade Shadow Wakaba’s sight and leap onto the veins that led straight to the Holy Grail. An idle thought of _‘I hope the Holy Grail can’t feel me standing on its veins’_ passed through his mind as he continued his observing vigil before he felt something was off.

He almost fell as a persona lurched into Mementos before Joker was able to wrangle it back into submission. Whereas Ongyo-Ki was insistent Metatron while as calm and composed as ever seemed to almost be frantic with delight. Joker was confused.

If Metatron was acting in an anyway similar manner to either Kohryu and Ongyo-Ki, then that meant that someone related to Akechi was…

Joker threw himself prone against the pulsing veins beneath him as his sight whipped towards the entrance towards the room, its swirling door letting someone in. Joker’s eyes widened as Metatron, the Voice of God sung a hymn of victory, and Akechi in his attire as Shido’s executioner walked into the room.

That hymn of victory became that of swift disapproval as without pause Akechi walked forward lifted a silenced pistol to the Shadow of Wakaba Isshiki and fired. The bullet passed through Wakaba as she collapsed to the ground. Joker could only watch, his heart beating faster and faster as Akechi crouched down, laying the barrel of his silenced-pistol against shadow Wakaba’s head.

“This is nothing personal, I assure you… just business,” Joker could hear Akechi’s words in the silence of the chamber before a pull of the trigger heralded the end of Wakaba Isshiki and the beginning of Ruin.

In a haze Joker watched as Akechi left, ensuring that he was gone he jumped down from his perch and crouched down to where Wakaba Isshiki’s shadow had been killed.

Wakaba Isshiki’s Shadow was dead and her research most likely going to be confiscated…

Wakaba Isshiki was dead…

…so why did it feel like this was the beginning of an opportunity rather than the end of one?

Joker’s fingers glided against the floor, where Wakaba’s shadow used to be. “Sandalphon…” Joker whispered as Ongyo-Ki swapped places with the Ultimate persona of the Moon, the Angel of Mercy and twin brother of Metatron.

Joker was used to taking a gamble, but never had he taken a gamble that could potentially destroy reality. With the barest of thought, he whispered.

“Samarecarm.”

Reality continued to move on, unheeding.

Joker grinned.

Wakaba Isshiki had died.

But nothing said that she couldn’t be brought back. Before the shadow could say anything, Joker places his hand against her forehead.

“Dormina.”

And just like that, the Shadow of Wakaba Isshiki was asleep but alive.

The fabric of reality was still intact and the world continued its course.

Joker couldn’t stop the crazy grin that tore at his face. All he had to do now was find the real Wakaba Isshiki and ensure her research was stolen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duh duh duuuuuuuuuuuh.
> 
> I told you this would be one fine shitshow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many things happen.
> 
> Akira saves people.
> 
> Akira threatens the Yakuza.
> 
> Akira gets a roommate.
> 
> Yay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sees football with the words “P5R Canon Script” scrawled along the side*
> 
> *Picks it up*
> 
> “Yeet that shit outta here!”
> 
> *Throws football*
> 
> “YEET!”
> 
> *Misses window*
> 
> *Football lays still on the room floor*
> 
> “Ah fuck, guess I better use some of this at least…”

Joker came across the oddest sight as he ascended from the depths of Mementos following the revival of Wakaba’s shadow and time spent hunting down shadows to brainwash. As he reached the entrance of Mementos he came across a tiny little boy in a grey parka with tiny grey boots, and black pants, his boots and parka covered in dark grey stars and moons. The child’s hair looked like someone had pasted a grey cracked egg-shell atop it.

This wasn’t what was making the sight odd, and nor was it the sight of a child-sized car with a tower of stuff strapped to the back. He’d call it junk but there seemed to be suitcases, clothes and even an umbrella that would refute that.

No, what made the sight weird was the giant floating flower-bubble thing that the child was observing.

“Hmmm, is this the right one this time?”

The child proceeded to touch the flower-bubble, the whole thing flashing slightly as it morphed into… a glass of some unknown orange liquid akin to orange juice. The little egg-shell boy then proceeded to drink said orange liquid. “Tasty,” egg-shell child hummed gleefully as he drained the liquid.

Joker wasn’t too sure to make of the strange child. He seemed harmless enough… but for some reason, this ‘child’ felt… strange… familiar almost but Joker was certain he’d never met him. He couldn’t put his finger on it.

Joker approached the small egg-shell child.

“Oh? I thought I could feel something strange for a second…” the egg-shell child hummed as he finally realised there was another person. “Who are you?”

Joker almost said his name but caught himself at the last second, instead choosing to turn the question on the egg-child. “It’s customary to introduce yourself before asking for someone’s name. Would you be able to tell me yours?” Akira asked as he crouched down so that they were on equal standing. He didn’t feel any sense of danger from the child.

“Oh, sorry about that!” egg-child apologized cheerfully. “I didn’t know it was customary for a human to introduce itself before asking another human for its name. Thanks for that!”

If that didn’t send warning signals to Joker, he wasn’t sure what would. The child certainly didn’t feel like a shadow but if had to put his finger on it… this child seemed almost like Morgana in some weird sense.

Joker gave a small smile, “No worries…”

“Oh right! My name’s Jose! I’m looking for flowers!” the egg-child, Jose introduced himself.

Joker’s eyes drifted to where that flower had been floating. If he recalled correctly there certainly _had_ been bubble-like things floating down deeper within Mementos, but in his haste to get to Wakaba he’d completely ignored them.

“Are those flowers special?” he asked Jose curiously to which the Jose nodded happily.

“Mhmm! I’m collecting them for my research. I’m studying humans!” Jose explained with a smile. “Those flowers are bits and pieces of human thought floating around! I can get so much information from them!”

Joker was entirely unsure what to say there. For some reason after all the things he’d been through studying by drinking magic flower juice seemed… wrong? Interesting? He wanted to give it a try?

“Hey, would you mind helping me with my research?” Jose asked suddenly breaking Joker from his train of thought.

Joker looked at Jose, “You’d like me to collect flowers for you, I assume?”

“Mhmm!” Jose nodded. “Of course, my studies have shown me that something of equal value must be given in return… I find all kinds of things while exploring if you want we can trade if you’d like?”

Joker thought about it… but ultimately shook his head. “I’m afraid I already have more items than I know what to do with. But… do you have money?” Joker honestly felt silly about asking a child for money but, well, this was Mementos and he knew he’d be needing more money in the future.

Jose smiled but shook his head. “I don’t carry human currency on me but I can help you get more money here in Mementos if you’d like!” he said while taking out a large squeaky hammer toy.

Joker smiled with a nod and held out his hand.

Jose looked at it in confusion.

“This is a handshake; two humans clasp each other’s hands and shake them together for a variety of reasons. In our case, it’s to display that a deal has been accepted,” Joker explained as he noticed Jose’s expression.

“Ah!” Jose’s face lit up in glee. “My studies have been updated, thank you for your assistance! It's greatly appreciated!” Jose clasped Jokers hands and they shook.

Joker felt time freeze.

His heart stopped.

**I am thou, thou art I…**

**Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

**It shall become the wings of rebellion**

**that shall free thy shattered soul.**

**With the birth of the Aeon Persona,**

**I have obtained the winds of blessing that**

**shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Joker let out a true smile.

“I’ll be glad to help you out Jose,” he took Jose’s child-sized hands into his own and shook it as the egg-child smiled back.

“I’m glad to hear it! Here, this one I’ll give for free!” Jose withdrew his hand and took out his hammer and crouched down till he was lower than Joker’s own crouching position before patting the ground.

“Here we go.” Jose nodded to himself.

Joker stayed silent as he watched the egg-child get to work.

Jose looked up at him, “I’ll be changing the cognition of Mementos. This place has things like what you human call “Pressure Points.” So, if I do this...” he explained as he rose his squeaky hammer with both of his hands high above his head.

And slammed it down.

**_BONK!_ **

The resulting recoil from the squeaky hammer almost sent Jose falling to the ground.

It was still for a moment before Joker could feel it, Mementos shaking starting from small rumble to a violent tunnel-collapsing quake. All-too-soon it stopped.

“There,” Jose nodded in satisfaction. “That should change it for you.”

Joker was normally one not to take things at face value but in this instance, he was willing to.

“Thank you, Jose. I’ll make sure the next time we meet I have some flowers for you,” Joker said before raising a hand and ruffling the top of Jose’s head, idly he noted that his hair was actually more like a helmet in terms of feeling, “Good job, Jose.”

Standing up and allowing his knees to crack from crouching for so long, Joker exited Mementos, his pendant shining briefly before he disappeared from the collective unconscious of humanity.

Back in Mementos Jose rubbed the top of his head where Joker ruffled it, a tiny hand resting upon a grey egg-shell head.

“Good… job…?”

**Aeon Arcana – Rank 2!**

* * *

As Akira returned home it occurred to him that finding the real Wakaba Isshiki was quite literally impossible to even with all of the powers at his disposal. Mementos and the real world no matter how close they were to each other were still nonetheless separate.

For one, he was pretty sure that Wakaba still worked as a private researcher that only Sojiro knows where. And second, the only thing he knew about her death was that she threw herself onto the street in front of Futaba and got hit by a vehicle, the exact specifications of the detail foggy since at the time he was more focused on helping Futaba.

Little details like that were easy to miss.

Akira looked down at the pendant on his chest and grasped it, hoping for some kind of signal. It had helped him enter Mementos even when he shouldn’t have been able, distorting the reality of the world within the pendant and this world.

But the pendant laid inert in his palm.

Letting it go he sighed as he sunk into the plush depths of his new mattress in his new house. Cleaned after a warm shower he’d all but thrown himself onto the bed.

He’d forgotten for a moment how exhausting exploring Mementos was, the toll of using a Persona transferred over to the real world after all and the use was mentally taxing.

Silence.

It bothered him, the silence. Reminded him.

Akira shot up for his phone, quickly scrolled through the paltry music list he owned and set it on repeat. An old album full of piano music resounded through the room from the tinny speakers of his phone. He set his phone back down before doing the same and reclining into the sheets.

Taking deep breaths Akira was asleep within minutes.

That night, Akira dreamt of nothing.

* * *

It was around three weeks later did Akira’s world tip on its axis.

Literally.

Akira had been in the middle of setting up speakers in his room that he’d brought after being sick of his phone’s terrible speaker quality, along with setting up a music streaming app for his phone before the pendant hanging between his chest **_burned_** and his vision went sideways before going right-ways up

Akira scrambled to put on his shoes and a coat before he’d flung himself out the door. Once more Ongyo-Ki had thrown itself to the forefront of his mind and he suddenly _knew_ what had happene- no… what was _going to_ happen.

All the while his pendant **_burned_** , no longer the cold comforting feeling it had once been but a burning urgency, a demand for Akira to **move _._ **And move he did.

He didn’t know how long he’d been running for.

He’d skipped the trains entirely, instead choosing to stay in a dead sprint. The pendant was molten hot now. His body moved like the wind as a once fit body began to move at peak efficiency, little wasted movement as Ongyo-Ki helped, little urgings here and there all to make sure he arrived on time.

He didn’t know where he was going.

But he did.

No, he didn’t!

Yes, he did!

**No, he didn’t!**

Before he knew it, Akira was somewhere in Shinjuku, on the other end of Shinjuku away from the red-light district and it was here he saw them. He watched as Futaba pulled insistently at her Mother’s coat, Wakaba ignoring her as pale sweats dripped down her face, the whites of her eyes visible.

Akira watched as a large truck sped through the green light, the same light that held the crossing that Futaba and Wakaba were at. Akira clutched at his chest as lava flowed through his veins, a burning pain consuming him as he watched Wakaba fling herself into the oncoming traffic.

With a screeching thud, the truck struck Wakaba with enough force to kill her on impact.

Akira watched as Futaba cried and grieved.

Akira watched as people gasped in horror and the authorities were called.

Akira watched as both Futaba and Wakaba’s corpse were removed and after half an hour Shinjuku moved on as usual.

Akira took shaky steps forward.

Akira approached the figure on the ground, people around them seemingly ignoring her existence.

Lava pulsed through his veins as he picked up Wakaba Isshiki, heart pumping with joy as her chest rose and fell with each intake of air. Bloodstained her clothes were, but otherwise, she was fine, no broken ribs or injuries to be seen. Her eyes were closed and she breathed rhythmically.

Almost as if she was asleep.

It took all of Akira’s strength to not weep in joy, instead choosing to move into an empty alleyway. The moment he did so the lava coursing through his veins vanished and the red-hot glow that had taken ahold of his pendant did the same.

Akira’s quickly checked her vitals just like Tae had taught him as he placed her on the ground. Pulse rate was normal, and consistent deep breathes. All typical signs of deep sleep.

Akira felt his body sag to the ground in relief.

He’d done it.

He’d made sure Wakaba Isshiki died.

As far as reality was concerned Wakaba Isshiki was dead and her research would soon be stolen. Akira took a gamble and it had paid off, just like it had with Akechi and letting him kill her shadow.

The cold sweat that formed on Akira’s neck broke.

He’d gambled the fate of an entire reality just so one woman could live… Akira could feel his hands shake slightly as he picked up his phone.

Just how much more was he going to gamble?

“Hello, Tsuda-san…? I need you to help hide someone. I’ll pay you handsomely.”

* * *

Tsuda was sure as shit now this Kurusu kid was a murderer.

The moment Kurusu had asked him to help hide someone he’d fully been expecting to find out the kid had murdered one of his men and that the call was some sort of sick joke. So imagine his surprise when he rocked up at the kid’s residence with Onoi in tow in the dead of night only to find out the kid did actually want to hide someone.

“Is there some sort of story behind her?” Tsuda nodded at the black-haired woman Onoi was dragging into the back seat of the car before sitting beside her.

“Call it a personal interest…” Kurusu murmured as he entered the front passenger seat with a briefcase. “She was gonna be killed, and I saved her.”

Tsuda entered the driver seat and started up the engine. It didn’t take a genius to tell the kid was holding his cards close to his chest. “She have a hit on her?” he asked for the sake of killing the silence but also partly out of curiosity.

…

“Not anymore, she doesn’t…”

Ah… as far as anyone was concerned the woman in the back seat of his car was a dead woman. Which meant there was no longer a bounty on her.

Shame.

Well, either way, he was still making a hell of a deal just to hide her. “So, how long do you need her hidden for?” Tsuda asked as he drove to Yakuza territory.

“Three years, hidden deep, not a word. Full-care.”

Tsuda nodded mind racing. “Coma?”

“Indeterminate sleep, unknown when she’ll wake.”

“It’ll cost you…” Tsuda warned him for the sake of it.

“Good, it means you’ll take this seriously…” Kurusu muttered as they approached a building.

Tsuda and Akira stepped out as the doors to the building opened. It was a squat two-story building but secretly it went eight floors underground, perfect for hiding. Exiting the doors were three women all in nurse attire along with two men in suits with a stretcher.

“VIP treatment people, long-term. Take good care of her and be careful!” Tsuda ordered as the two men lined up the stretcher with the sleeping woman and slid her into the stretcher. The three nurses did a quick check over, opening her eyes and checking the responsiveness of her pupils.

Quickly they ordered the men and Onoi to follow them. Tsuda and Kurusu followed behind at a slower pace to discuss business.

“As much as I want to do this cheaper, the price for this is going to be through the roof,” Tsuda said truthfully. This building was primarily used for hiding people, the executives of their competitors and usually not in a kind manner, usually imprisoning them in the eight floors underground. There was also a side-use for the upper floors in that they were used to hide yakuza executives if a hit had been placed on them and they needed a long-term place to recover. It wasn’t somewhere just anyone could stay.

“How much?” Kurusu asked as he walked.

“Ten-million yen a month,” Tsuda replied with the slightest of flinches as he noticed a muscle under Kurusu’s eye twitch ever so slightly. He hadn’t missed the hidden signal his men had given him that Kurusu had weapons on him when they passed him to get the woman.

“Done,” Tsuda was grateful he wasn’t about to have his head blown out. It was damn near impossible for Yakuza to actually get their hands on firearms with the stringent laws in place, it was why they’d once used Iwai’s realistic fake-weaponry to intimidate other gangs.

Tsuda had the feeling Kurusu wasn’t carrying around a fake.

“I can pay fifty-million up front, five months,” Kurusu held up his briefcase. Tsuda nodded as he exhaled heavily.

“Excellent, I’ll tell my bosses as soon as possible,” Tsuda nodded as they reached where the woman would be staying. Kurusu hadn’t even told them her name which was good, the less they knew the less anyone could spill the beans.

The room they’d entered was modernly lavish with top-of-the-line medical equipment, higher quality than even most hospitals; each piece of machinery costing millions of yen. On-hand at any time were two people, a personal doctor and nurse for each VIP. Never mind the latest technology so that their VIP’s could enjoy themselves along with room-brought personally cooked food by some of Japan’s best chefs.

Tsuda’s bosses were almost unwilling to allow a civilian to use such a commodity but money came before self-wishes and once a deal was struck it couldn’t be broken.

“Impressive…” Kurusu murmured as he watched the woman get set up, the nurses taking over as they slowly inserted an IV into her arm hooked up to a saline solution along with a cardiac monitor connected to her chest.

One nurse moved towards the two. “Excuse me, but would you allow us some privacy to take care of our patient? We shall change her clothes into something more comfortable. We shall call you back shortly,” she asked politely while waving towards a screen.

The two nodded.

“Anyone know about this place?” Kurusu asked to which Tsuda shook his head.

“Only people that know about this place are my bosses,” Tsuda said. “I’m the only lieutenant that knows about this place since I’ve been with the group since the old family began making changes. Only other person that would know is an ex-yakuza out in Shibuya.”

Tsuda was hesitant as hell even saying that last part.

“Munehisa Iwai, I presume?” Kurusu asked casually causing Tsuda to freeze at the mention of his oath-brother.

Tsuda nodded slowly.

Kurusu nodded in satisfaction. “Heard about him. Good man, trustworthy… I have no need to worry then.”

The boulder that sat upon Tsuda’s chest disappeared but it reminded him to be cautious. Even though Kurusu was fourteen he knew more than he let on… and it seemed he had some high connections if he knew about Iwai being from the old family.

The screen the two were standing behind swung open as the nurse pulled it away. “She’s decent now,” the nurse said, Kurusu flashing a charming smile at her causing a small blush to reach her cheeks. The other nurses giggled.

“I’ll leave her in your care then,” Kurusu nodded as he turned to Tsuda while holding out a hand.

Tsuda took it but stumbled as he was pulled close till Kurusu’s lips were next to his ear.

“If I find out any harm comes to that woman… well, I’m sure you can figure it out yourself…” Kurusu whispered in his ears as Tsuda felt the barrel of a pistol push lightly against the lower-right of his ribcage, within the small room the sound of the hammer cocking back was easily audible.

Behind the two, metal scraping against leather rang out as the nurses held a knife each against Kurusu’s jugular. Kurusu only smiled and stared Tsuda down as one knife bit down into his neck harshly but somehow against all reason only managed to barely pierce the skin of his jugular, a tiny trickle of blood dripping from the knife’s edge down Kurusu’s throat as he smiled at him.

“As crystal,” Tsuda nodded as he ordered the women off, the three sheathing their knives in the sheathes around their upper thighs beneath their skirts. In a matter of seconds, the nurses were once more like a group of blushing schoolgirls.

Kurusu rose a brow at their quick change as he holstered the high-calibre pistol in the backside waistband of his jeans, the bulge of it covered by the blazer-jacket he wore. “At least I know she’ll be safe at all times in case anyone hunts her down,” he said before withdrawing a small bag with yen.

“Let’s call this owed reparation, shall we?” he handed it to the nurses before turning to Tsuda, “That was just a display of my feelings towards this matter, I’m sure you understand.”

“Yeah…” Tsuda massaged his ribs, the phantom pain of a gun digging into it threatening to blow his insides open was vividly clear, “I’ll see to it personally that she’s taken care of.”

“Good man,” Kurusu grinned with just a bit too many teeth, “I’ll be checking in every now and then to make sure she’s alright. If that’s okay with you, of course?”

Tsuda nodded. He signalled to the three nurses to stay quiet on what happened in the room before escorting Kurusu out of the building.

At the end of the night, Tsuda was fifty million yen richer and had a couple of months shaved off his life out of fear. He winced and thought that maybe he’d need a fresh bottle of scotch and a bulletproof vest the next time he’d meet with Kurusu. The kid was already proving to be a long-term business client, and that was good and bad in every meaning of the term.

* * *

It had been around two weeks since Akira had been able to circumvent this reality’s first Constant Event and since then he’d begun trying to get used to living in this world. Waking up in the mornings was strange.

For almost a year he’d gotten used to waking up to the comforting smell of coffee and curry, suffused by the slight smell of wood of Leblanc’s attic. Now he had to get used to waking up to the smell of a new house and the sounds of a piano playing in the background as his speakers played throughout the night.

He had to get used to cooking his own food, to which he’d referred to newly bought textbooks, buy his own groceries and clean up after himself. Of course, he’d known how to do that even before Leblanc but now he was really living by himself, for himself. It felt wrong.

As he began his morning by making pancakes and low-quality coffee (he missed Leblanc which didn’t even exist yet), he looked through his compendium at the Constant Events page.

> Forging of Hope

> Awakening of the Trickster

> Reformation of Lust

> Reformation of Vanity

> Reformation of Gluttony

> Reformation of Sloth

> Death of Greed

> Reformation of Envy

> Reformation of Pride

> Infiltration of Regression

> Second Awakening of the Trickster

Even if these events were written slightly strangely compared to the initial one, it was still largely understandable. If what he was reading was correct, then the next thing he needed to look towards was when Morgana would be brought into existence in a bid by Igor.

Morgana forming from human hope occurred around a month before the school year started and the Trickster attended Shujin, so around two years from now. Two years of simply just existing. Akira wasn’t entirely sure with what to do with his newfound lease in life. Sure, he’d ensure the aversion of Ruin but two years just existing till his purpose was continued?

He wasn’t sure what to think.

He flipped the last of the large stack of pancakes as the coffee machine dinged that its duty was complete in making terrible coffee that could barely quantify as sludge. Sojiro had spoiled him for coffee.

**_~Ding Dong~_ **

Akira tensed as the doorbell rang. Looking over the counter and into the hallway that led to the front door he paused as he closed his compendium, and shut off the stove. Quietly he tucked away the compendium into his back pocket and made sure that the Tyrant Pistol was on him.

Akira wasn’t expecting anyone. He didn’t even know anyone in this reality outside of the Yakuza now that he thought about it.

Ensuring that the pistol was on his person he slowly made his way to the front door. Just beyond the frosted glass of the front door, he could vaguely make out a singular figure standing there.

**_~Ding Dong~_ **

One hand grasped the door handle while the other laid to rest on the Tyrant Pistol’s grip, with a single movement he opened the door.

“Hello, I’m here regarding the roommate notice?” the figure asked as he looked down at Akira. “Um… this is the correct residence is it not?”

Ah… so that’s why Akira had suddenly felt like pancakes for breakfast, it was strange for him to want something sweet in the mornings.

* * *

Goro Akechi sighed as he rang the doorbell to the fifth residence this month that he was visiting in hopes of finding accommodations. He _loathed_ using his bastard father’s contacts, much less any contacts that supported him but Goro had barely five-thousand yen to his name that he’d scrounged together when he came to Shibuya in search of Masayoshi Shido.

Finding out the true and uncaring nature of his father turned the gut-wrenching hatred for his father into something truly foul.

He swore if this one turned him away just like the last four had, he’d kill someone. The first four had turned him away from the door and the only reason he’d even entertained going to this one was that Shido’s ‘Janitor’ had taken pity on him and suggested this one citing whoever this was ‘wanted a roommate’. The thought of taking a yakuza’s recommendation and the wavering legality was overtaken by the need for somewhere warm to sleep for the night.

Pressing a second time, he readied himself for when the door opened.

When it did he was the slightest bit stunned when he had to look down at the person. “Hello, I’m here regarding the roommate notice?” Goro uttered behind a thin veneer of politeness to the teen in front of him. Goro noticed the young age of the teen, maybe fourteen.

Had he gotten the wrong house?

“Um… this is the correct residence is it not?” Goro double-checked with fake innocence. Make it seem like it was just some sort of mistake.

The teen just looked at him.

“No… this is the place,” the frizzy-haired teen nodded as he opened the door wider till Goro could see the interior. “Have you had breakfast?” the teen asked as he leaned against the door.

Goro’s stomach grumbled as he smelled a sweet scent waft from the insides of the two-story building. The teen smirked. “I suppose that answers that. Come on in, we’ll talk over breakfast,” he said as he turned around and headed back inside, leaving the door open.

Was this some kind of sick joke concocted by Shido’s ‘Janitor’?

Akechi cautiously moved forward into the house, taking note of how _sterile_ the house felt. It didn’t feel like anyone lived here. He’d know from the number of foster homes he’d been juggled around. The house lacked a presence that other houses had, one that those living there for a long time left.

Like the one he and his mother had once lived in.

Taking his trolley suitcase with barest meagre possessions left to him he moved through the house slowly, the hallway leading into a kitchen area. The teen was already setting up two servings of pancakes on a small dining table, a yawn escaping his lips as he did so.

The teen looked up, “Would you like some coffee? It’s some pretty terrible coffee but it’ll wake you up a bit.”

Goro just nodded numbly as he stood in the hallway, watching closely as the teen prepared two cups of coffee with some sugar and creamer. The teen set one down each beside each serving of pancakes.

“You can sit down you know?” the teen said as he took a seat on one of the wooden chairs surrounding the table, nodding at the other chair to which Goro slowly and cautiously took. The whiff of warm food made Goro’s stomach rumble in want, but until he’d seen the teen take a bite of his pancakes and a sip of his coffee he finally touched the food.

As the taste of fluffy pancakes flooded his mouth he thought that if this really was some kind of twisted joke he’d milk the free food as much as he could. The two stayed silent till their meals were concluded

“So…” the teen asked as he polished off his breakfast, Goro doing the same. “Let’s not beat around the bush here. Someone from the Yakuza sent you here. Referred you here for whatever reason because you were looking for somewhere to stay, stop me if I’m right?

Goro’s hackles raised but he nodded nonetheless.

“Wonderful,” the teen clapped his hand together. “It’s been lonely lately,” he said, Goro tensing as the teen stood up from the table but otherwise only made his way to a nearby key rack and withdraw one of two identical keys. Said key Goro swiped out of the air as it was lobbed at him.

“If you’re going to be living with me, I might as well get your name,” the teen grinned but Goro finally snapped.

“Is this some kind of fucking joke?” Goro hissed acerbically at the teen who remained unphased.

“Hmm?” the teen hummed unconcerned. “Not really… I asked for a housemate and you’re here. Don’t you want the keys?”

“What’s your game here?” Goro asked.

The teen shrugged. “Let’s be honest here, we’re both here from less than legal means. If the Yakuza referred you here you’re obviously in with some shady people and well, the Yakuza referred you to me so I’m in the same boat. Call it helping someone in the same situation.”

Goro had to almost physically hold back a snarl, the teen for some reason or the other getting under his skin. “We are not the same!” Goro growled as his hands slammed into the dining table, tableware rattling from the force.

The teen’s eyes just looked around before looking around the house. “Deceased parents or you’re unwanted, maybe both. Orphaned and looking for a place to stay. Probably moved around foster homes by Child Services.”

Goro froze in his tracks as the teen’s grey eyes bore into his own burgundy red. “H-How-?” Goro sputtered.

“Take a guess,” the teen shrugged. “A fourteen-year-old owning a house by the edge of Shibuya without any parents? Dubious connections to the underground? Shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.”

“… your family?” Goro asked as he took in the information, a picture painting itself in his head.

“…dead,” the teen said after a long pause before getting up from where he’d been leaning against the kitchen counter and began to pick up the dishes. Soon he was cleaning them in the sink with a sponge and soap.

Goro could feel he was telling the truth, the anguish he'd tried to hide still noticeable even to him.

“If you want to stay here I don’t mind. The place has already been paid off so there’s no need for rent and as far as this city’s concerned, this house is legally owned by an adult so CPS won’t be barging the door down. I only put out that notice because this place is too large for me,” the teen said. “But if you want to go find somewhere else, the doors open.”

Standing up, Goro was out of the kitchen the moment the teen had finished speaking.

…

“Where can I put my stuff?” Goro asked bluntly as he dragged his suitcase from the hallway.

The teen smirked from the sink. “Any of the rooms upstairs except for the master bedroom at the end of the hall. The bathroom is the first door on the left, the toilet is the opposite door.”

Goro nodded in the barest amount of thanks as he began to make his way towards the stairs but stopped just before ascending.

“Goro… Goro Akechi,” Goro didn’t see but he heard the tap tun off and the sound of dishes being washed stopped for a moment, “That’s my name.”

“Akira Kurusu.”

The sound of dishes being washed resumed.

Goro continued to ascend the stairs.

* * *

Akira took calming breathes as he washed the dishes, the surprise of seeing Akechi so soon… what in the world was he thinking to take in Goro Akechi in as a roommate?

**_“Under different circumstances, we could have been great rivals or perhaps even friends… I wonder why we couldn’t have met a few years earlier, Akira…”_ **

Akira clenched his fist, the porcelain between his fingers shaking from the pressure before he finally eased up.

He was here to make a change for the better… and that included Akechi.

**I am thou, thou art I…**

**Thou hast re-acquired a blood-oath.**

**It shall become the wings of rebellion**

**and mend the cracks of thy heart.**

**Thou hast reawakened to the**

**ultimate secret of Justice, granting thee infinite power.**

Maybe he was doing the right thing after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, you fuckers thought you’d seen the last of Akechi for a while last chapter. Fuck that! Pancake-boi is here to stay!
> 
> I have quickly realised I have no idea where I'm taking this story and I love it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Um... yes. I wonder if people actually read the chapter summaries cause I always seem to have a problem writing them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Duh duh duuuuh! What am I doing with thiiis stooooory?~
> 
> ~I don’t knoooooow!~
> 
> Yeah, I really don’t know what I’m doing right now.
> 
> What I do know is that I am a self-indulgent fuck and I need Goro x Akira friendship (NOT YAOI) in this. We stick with platonic friendship because my best girl will be in this one day. All girls are best girls but I have my own preference.
> 
> Feel free to argue about that in the comments if you want.
> 
> Edit: I am heartened to know that people are happy to see best pancake boi
> 
> Another Edit: So, wow just realised I made it passed my initial estimation of three chapter before my muse broke but it seems like I was wrong. I estimate maybe another three chapters.
> 
> another another edit: Welp less than a day and I have another chapter up, something wrong with me

Goro woke up slowly in his bed, morning sunlight filtering in from the blinds of his window in an effort to assassinate his eyelids. Groaning he groped around wildly till he found his phone and checked the time.

6:28

Throwing his phone back onto the side-table he finally got up to begin his day. He could hear Akira downstairs, more likely than not already cooking breakfast and making lunch. He shook his head. It was just over a year now since Goro had moved in with the strange frizzy-haired teen, and over the course of the year he’d found out a few small things about the male.

First off, and actually the most surprising, was that Akira Kurusu had no connection to Shido. The two had talked about it and Goro found out that the only reason Akira had been recommended to him was that Shido’s ‘Janitor’ was Yakuza and had heard down his grapevine of connections about a housemate offering but no one had been willing to take up.

When Goro had asked Akira about why no one was willing to take the offering, especially considering how good it was, he’d just given him a confused look, so Goro left it at that.

The second thing Goro noticed was that Akira had some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It wasn’t evident, and he’d seemed to have done something to cope with it but Goro noticed over the year that Akira was scared of a large lack of noise. Akira would sleep with speakers on playing classical music, but had foreseen any complications and kindly added sound mufflers to his bedroom preventing the noise from reaching Goro’s room. In any time when it got too quiet outside of his room, he’d always have a pair of headphones around his neck to put on.

It wasn’t noticeable to a normal person, most would have assumed that Akira was like any other teenager constantly listening to music but they most likely hadn’t seen Akira flinch violently when a sharp noise was made in a quiet room. Goro remembered a time in the middle of the night when Akira had gone downstairs and Goro had followed him silently. The moment Goro had caused one of the stairs to creak Akira had completely freaked out.

Goro would never forget the frantic hysteria in Akira’s eyes even as they faded away as Akira noticed who it was and apologised profusely as he released the death grip around his throat. Goro at that moment had realised that perhaps there may have a reason that Akira lived without any adults.

During the following weeks and months after that event, Goro had spent every other moment that he wasn’t using working for Shido and carrying out hit-missions in an effort to worm his way into his trust and take him out to look up his roommate. What he’d found didn’t exactly paint the prettiest of pictures.

As far as Tokyo was concerned, Akira Kurusu popped into existence around just over a year ago, the identification obviously being fake as it showed Akira being twenty-one. This one was the one Akira had used to buy a house. There was also a second one that seemed more realistic stating Akira was fifteen, more than likely the one he used daily.

When Goro dug a little deeper he found that everything from Akira’s identification to the purchasing of the house they currently lived in was carried out by the Yakuza gang that covered most of Tokyo, all carried out under the orders of the highest Yakuza member just outside the Kumicho, Akimitsu Tsuda. This wasn’t too much of a surprise as Akira did outright state that he had connections to the Yakuza but what was interesting was how much Akira spent to keep himself hidden.

The running total that Goro had found so far was somewhere just a bit over 100 million yen. Whatever past Akira was running from, he’d completely erased whoever he was for the last fifteen years and somehow obtained and spent more than Goro thinks even Shido had used in a single-use. Akira had done so much to keep himself hidden and here Goro was trying to dig up just to sate his own curiosities; ensuring that there was no connection to Shido. And he’d found none.

Goro felt after years of being alone he’d found a kindred spirit in Akira and even though it was never implicitly said, Goro had the feeling Akira felt the same.

Getting dressed in his new uniform; a tan pea coat with black buttons, a striped black and white tie, black pants, and black loafers, Goro exited his room and was immediately assaulted by the scent of miso, white rice, and grilled fish. A traditional Japanese breakfast.

Akira smiled at him as he made his way downstairs. “Morning Goro, breakfast is ready,” he greeted as he flipped the boneless fish in the pan onto a plate while the coffee machine dinged.

It almost felt natural by now how Goro slid over to the coffee machine and began making the cups of coffee. Akira’s was always never to his liking but he’d explained that he’d once been spoiled on coffee; when Goro asked about it, Akira had gone quiet signalling Goro to let it go. Taking the two cups he brought them to the table and sat down, Akira did the same and after a small ‘Itadakimasu’ the two began eating in relative quiet, the sound of porcelain and metal scraping against each other the primary noise within the kitchen and the sound of Tokyo waking up for a weekday morning.

“Do you have any of your duties at the police station tonight after school?” Akira asked curiously as he began washing the dishes.

“I do, but I should be finished in time for dinner,” Goro nodded, “It doesn’t seem like that the police have much need for the ‘Second Coming of the Detective Prince’, right now, so everything’s been quiet since the last mental breakdown. They’re keeping me around for the time being to look at other cases.”

“Ah… that’s good…” Akira murmured to himself, “How do you feel about meeting up for dinner then? We’ll call it a… celebration for the completion of your latest case. I’ll pay of course.”

Goro rose a brow. It wasn’t often that Akira offered to eat out, mostly choosing to cook for the two of them since Goro’s skill with the culinary arts were horrendous. “Where are you thinking?”

“How about we meet up in Ginza tonight? 6PM?” Akira offered to which Goro furrowed his brows in confusion but nonetheless accepted.

“Very well, I shall meet you there tonight. Do you have any plans for the day while I’m out?” Goro asked as he picked up the lunch Akira had prepared for him.

Akira was honestly quite… kind? strange? Ever since Goro had become his housemate, Akira had since prepared all the meals for him. Which was Goro was definitely thankful for otherwise, he was sure he’d be skipping his meals all the time. But back about Akira’s time spent during the day, Goro found out that the frizzy-haired teen didn’t actually attend school; instead spending most of his time at home or somewhere around Tokyo.

“I heard about a café that opened up somewhere in Yongen so I might take a look at it,” Akira shrugged, “Then I might take a look around Shibuya.” As a part of the police force, Goro _should_ have been the one to make Akira go to school but he looked the other way when it came to him.

“Okay then, I’ll see you this evening,” Goro nodded as he picked up his briefcase and lunch and made his way to the door. He wouldn’t ever tell him to stay safe though, especially if the local Yakuza were on his side.

“Have a good day.” Akira waved his hand in farewell as Goro closed the door behind him and made his way to school.

* * *

It was around lunchtime that Sojiro Sakura got his first customer of the day. Customer traffic was still slow for a start-up business but it gave him something to do during the day. Sojiro inwardly groaned as he noticed it was only some teenager, but still, business was business. “Welcome,” Sojiro greeted the frizzy-black haired teen as he took a look at the small blackboard at the corner of the counter, “What’ll you have?”

The teen seemed to just stare around the shop for a moment before actually deciding to look at him. “I’ll have the daily special please,” the kid said, taking another glance at the chalkboard before seating himself at the counter quietly.

Sojiro grunted quietly as he got to work.

“How long have you been open for?” Sojiro looked at the teen, his elbows on the table and his hands clasped under his chin as he looked at him questioningly.

“Just over two months now,” Sojiro finally answered as he finished pouring the coffee through a sieve after grinding the coffee beans and pressing them through hot water. “Order up. I’ll have some curry ready for you in a moment,” Sojiro placed the steaming cup of coffee before his customer.

The kid picked up the cup taking in the full aroma of the rich coffee. Admittedly it was one of the lower-quality beans in his stock that Sojiro used, preferring to save the higher-quality for customers than came more than once. Taking a sip, the teen gave a thoughtful glance at the cup before surprising Sojiro. “Guatemalan Strictly Hard Bean,” he said as Sojiro placed down a plate of curry with white rice.

“Huh…” Sojiro let out. He couldn’t actually remember the last time someone had been able to identify his coffee on a single sip. Then again, he’d really only been open for only two months and he couldn’t actually recall when someone _had_ been able to tell which beans he used.

“The beans have a citrus-acidity, hinting to some undertones of fruits and chocolate beneath the surface,” the teen explained as he took in another sip and allowed the curry to cool.

“What? Are you some sort of coffee connoisseur?” Sojiro asked with a raised brow and smirk that tugged at the edges of his lip.

The teen shook his head, “Just a kid who can’t make a good cup of joe to save his life. I will admit though that I do have a small addiction to a good coffee and curry, but nowhere anywhere near here serves anything worth its price.”

“Well at least give this a try before you say that,” Sojiro nodded towards the curry. “Let’s see if you can tell what’s in this while you’re here.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that,” the teen grinned, scooping some rice and curry onto his spoon before tasting it, meticulously savouring it. “I can taste some apple…” the teen placed his spoon down in thought, “…and is that yogurt? To balance out the spice I assume?”

Sojiro nodded impressed. Admittedly, he hadn’t been able to identify that rest of the spices that made up the rest of the curry but it was still impressive that he was able to discern the two secret ingredients. “I wasn’t sure how much spice you could take, so I figured it was better to take it easy. Especially with such rich coffee.”

The teen nodded gratefully. “I see… thank you. It’s delicious.”

Sojiro merely nodded as he cleaned up the coffee machine for the next customer that came in. He watched as then teen finished off his curry and sat there enjoying his curry. He didn’t realise what had been bothering him about the sight till he remembered that it was a Thursday.

“What a minute, shouldn’t you be in school?” Sojiro asked with concern. “I’m telling you now, I’m not about to defend you if truancy officers come around and see you.”

“I’m not enrolled in any schools,” the teen just shrugged.

Sojiro rose a brow in suspicion. “And what? Your parents don’t care?”

“Don’t have any.”

Sojiro felt his gut curl. He saw Futaba flash through the back of his mind before he shook it off. “What about a guardian or something? You should have one, right?”

“Nope,” the sound popped from the teen's lips as he took another sip of his coffee. “The closest thing I have to a guardian is my housemate but he’s currently at school.”

“Housemate? W-What?!” Sojiro looked at him in concern, leaning forward onto the counter. “But what about Child Protection Services? Foster homes?”

“Japan’s a big place. Some kids slip through the cracks and some foster homes… well suffice to say some aren’t exactly the kindest.” the frizzy-haired teen just smiled. “Besides I can take care of myself and now I have a housemate, we look after each other… sort of. I think I’m good on that end.”

Sojiro vividly remembered when he found out Futaba’s foster situation, when he’d found out how her uncle treated her. Sojiro took off his spectacles and pinched the bridge of his nose, an exhale of aggravation leaving his nostrils.

“Dammit…” Sojiro growled as the teen looked at him from his coffee. “Fine. I’m not going to say anything if anyone comes looking for you, especially if it’s against my better judgement. Just… just stay out of trouble…”

“I’ve gotten this far, haven’t I?” the teen joked.

Sojiro just glared at him. “Don’t push your luck kid,” he said warningly then sighed, “But if you need a place to take a break for a meal or a drink, my café’s always open. Opening hours only though!”

The teen looked at him for a few seconds without saying anything.

“You’re a good man,” he finally spoke as he stood up. “What’s your name? If I’m coming back here and like to know your name at the very least.”

Sojiro grunted, “Sojiro Sakura, but most people have taken to calling me ‘Boss’.”

“Sojiro-san…” the teen muttered. “Akira Kurusu, but please... call me Akira. I think you’ll be seeing more of me around here, Sojiro-san. This is some place that actually has coffee and curry worth a damn.”  
  
Sojiro failed to hold back the bark of laughter at the kid’s request. “You’ll have to pay me if you want me to call you by your first name kid,” he retorted.

Five ten-thousand-yen bills were promptly slapped down onto the counter causing him to choke.

“W-what? The meal’s only a thousand-yen– “

“That should cover my bill… the leftover should cover me at least for you to stop calling me kid,” Akira grinned as he cut Sojiro off with a backwards wave before exiting the shop, the door-bell jingling behind him.

Sojiro stared at the absurd amount of cash he’d been handed for a moment, before shaking his head. “Kids these days I swear. No respect for their elders,” he said as he put it in the cashier. “At least I can finally get those computer parts Futaba’s been looking at online…”

Seriously though, what kid carried around that much money?

* * *

Goro stood at the entrance to Ginza’s subway station checking the time on his phone.

6:02

It occurred to him after finishing his duties at the Tokyo police precinct that he and Akira hadn’t actually agreed on a set time to meet up. Thankfully when he’d messaged Akira, he’d replied that they’d be meeting up around six in the event at the entrance to Ginza’s station line. A familiar mop of frizzy black-hair and pair of black headphones entered his field of vision as he found his fifteen-year-old housemate approach him. “You’re late,” Goro noted bluntly.

“Haha sorry, sorry,” Akira apologised. “I was buying something in Kichijoji so it took me a while to get here.”

“Kichijoji?” Goro asked while raising a brow. “But… you’ve never been there.”

“Yup. Got lost,” Akira nodded before motioning for Goro to follow him. “Come on, I have a reservation at a local sushi restaurant.”

Sushi restaurant? But the only sushi restaurant in Ginza was…. “Wait a minute, don’t tell me-”

“Ahah,” Akira waggled his finger as he jogged on ahead, “No arguing. Come on, let’s move it, we’re going to be late!”

This was how Goro found himself chasing after Akira until they stopped in front of a building with rice paper walls reminiscent of traditional-style buildings. “Akira…!” Goro hissed as he noticed exactly where they were. It was a high-class sushi restaurant known for its quality, however, along with that, it was known for the absurdly expensive price tag reflective of the food quality.

“You said you’ve been wanting sushi!” Akira grinned as he walked inside, Goro walking behind him as his skin crawled, unaccustomed to being in a place with such high price tags. They reminded him of Shido.

An attendant walked up to the two with a suspicious gleam in her eye but when Akira mentioned his name and that he had a reservation that gleam vanished. Quietly the two were shuffled past the counter that most sat at and instead were shuffled into a private room. The room had a low table with seat cushions along the floor, and the floor being solely made of tatami mats

Goro shuffled in awkwardly while Akira sat down, the two having taken off their shoewear at the door. Noticing Goro’s indecisiveness, Akira motioned to sit down. “Come on, we’re celebrating, aren’t we?”

“This is a bit much just to celebrate a case,” Goro muttered as he grudgingly sat down and picked up a menu, only to swiftly put it back down as he noticed the prices. Most were exorbitantly out of his pay range.

Akira looked at him quizzically.

“What?” Goro asked defensively.

“You still think we’re celebrating about that case?” Akira asked eventually as his steel-grey bore into Goro’s red.

Goro’s brows furrowed. “We're... not?”

Akira stared for a moment before burying his face into his palm all the while shaking his head. “For the great Second Coming of the Detective Prince, you sure seem unable to pick up on things,” he murmured with a shake of his head causing a small ugly feeling to well within Goro’s chest.

“And what, exactly, are you trying to say Kurusu-san?” Goro hissed hotly, his carefully placed façade he’d cultivated as the Detective Prince slipping for a moment.

Unconcerned Akira picked up a nearby bottle of water, poured himself a glass and another for Goro before setting the bottle aside and drinking. “It seems just as much as you forget to eat breakfast or lunch without me reminding you,” he said as he took another sip, “You also forget to check the date.”

Goro rose a brow, a hand snaking its way into his pocket to withdraw his phone and look at the date. His eyes flicked to the date beneath the numbers showing the time.

June 2nd.

“What does the date have to do with anything-?” Goro asked hotly before something hit him for a moment.

Wait.

June 2nd?

Red eyes shot towards smiling grey in surprise.

“I can’t believe you forgot your own birthday,” Akira shook his head in faux sadness while retrieving a small rectangular box from his blazer pocket. The ugly feeling within Goro’s chest dissipated as he slid it across the table over to him.

Akira smiled “Happy Seventeenth Birthday, Goro.”

Goro just stared at it.

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had actually bothered to celebrate his birthday. The last time he could even remember was… before his mother died. Goro was stunned as a hand placed itself on his shoulder, looking up he found Akira had gotten up at some point and moved beside him.

“Goro, you’re crying,” Akira whispered with concern, looking at the tear tracks that Goro hadn’t even realised were falling. He quickly rubbed his eyes with his sleeve to hide the fact, darker streaks appearing on his uniform as it absorbed the tears before disappearing as they dried.

Goro shook his head as he responded in a clipped tone, “I’m fine…”

Thankfully, Akira didn’t push the issue and returned to his seat on the other side of the table. Goro after erasing all traces of his crying picked up the box. It was a custom box, with a small engraving of a sakura tree in bloom in the corner. There was a thin black ribbon that held the contents closed.

Slowly he untied the ribbon, setting it aside gently and slid the lid of the box upward unveiling the gift contents. Carefully, Goro plucked out a pair of thin black gloves. Just from feeling the material, he could tell this was a custom order.

“Well?” Akira leaned forward, interest gleaming in his eyes, “Try them on.”

Goro did so. He was pleasantly surprised to find they fit snugly, the pair of silk evening gloves black as night but soft against his hands.

“Ah good, I’d thought I may have gotten the size wrong,” Akira smiled. “You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to guess the size of your hands without just measuring them.”

Goro stared at them then at Akira. “You had this custom-made for me?” he asked genuinely shocked.

“Mhmm,” Akira nodded. “I sent the order in around two weeks ago. I was actually lucky enough for them to text me after lunch, so I had to rush over to Kichijoji to pick them up. I got lost though, turns out the shop I ordered from was in the back-alleys so it took me a fair bit find them.”

Goro just stared.

“Is something wrong with them? Do you not like them?” Akira asked as his brows furrowed in concern, “I thought you’d like them and that they’d complete your whole detective look.”

“No!” Goro quickly shook his head as he shouted, but quickly lowered his voice. “I-I mean it’s wonderful. I love it. I just- I w-wasn’t expecting you to actua-”

“Bloody hell, Goro breathe!” Akira suddenly appeared next to him once more, holding both of his shoulders in an effort to stop the shaking of his body Goro hadn’t even realised was happening. Akira looked at him with more concern than before, “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“No… I-…” Goro shook his head swiftly, his words cutting off in his throat as he looked at his housemate. “Thank you, Akira… really.”

Akira just smiled. “What kind of friend would I be if I just let your birthday pass by without a celebration?”

Friend…

Goro hadn’t had one of those in a long time.  
  
“Come on, no time to be down and mopey, I see that face of yours. We’re here to eat good sushi and celebrate your birthday!” Akira urged with a small grin causing one to appear on Goro’s own. “I’m paying and there’s no way you can convince me otherwise.”

At the end of the night, Goro felt his eyes bulge at the end total of their bill, well within the hundreds of thousands of yen, but Akira true to his word paid the bill without nary a thought.

Goro wondered when Akira’s birthday, at the end he realised he didn’t actually know so he asked.

Akira smiled.

“December 1st.”

Goro swore would have to remember to save up and get him something nice. It felt good to have someone to rely on and trust.

* * *

It would be close to a month after the two got together to celebrate Akira’s birthday at a café his friend seemed to frequent that Goro felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as he was at the police precinct. Picking it out he found he was getting a phone call, he didn’t recognise the number but nonetheless answered the call.

“Good evening, Goro Akechi speaking,” he automatically said politely.

“Ah, good evening Akechi-san, my apologies for calling,” a female voice replied from the other side of the line, a voice that Goro didn’t recognise.

The female continued speaking. “We regret to inform you that an Akira Kurusu has been hospitalised as of 4:36 PM the evening. Your contact was the only one we were able to find on him at the time of his arrival. We were wondering if you would be able to come to the Shibuya Private Hospital tonight.”

Goro’s heart dropped.

“I’m on my way now.”

With a quick apology to his boss, he dashed outside of the precinct, already getting on his hybrid and speeding through the streets of Shibuya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Social links without the actual social links, go!
> 
> Here we are, folks, with another chapter, around 1000 words shorter than the previous one but I thought I should do a separate chapter instead before I begin heading into canon-ish territory.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know if anyone actually reads the chapter summaries... do they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Yeet!”
> 
> *Throws chapter ferally*
> 
> “Take it, Take it!”

It was early February that Akira found himself dodging pedestrians and running through the city as if the hounds of hell were on his feet. It would’ve been more apt to say that a hail of swords were on his heels instead as Futsunushi urged him to run faster, to be ready of what was to come. Akira had bolted out of the house the moment he’d felt Zaou-Gongen and Vishnu cry out in pain, a signal that the Velvet Room had been compromised. He’d been expecting it, had been ready but the pain of having his bond to Igor dulled and the bond with Lavenza severed, split into Justine and Caroline still hurt.

It was as he was running to Shibuya that Akira felt Zaou-Gongen and Vishnu make way as Futsunushi lurched to the forefront of his mind and took over like how Ongyo-Ki had two years ago, affecting Akira within the real world. He could feel the bud of hope that would soon bloom into the Magician’s Arcana deep in the bowels of Mementos, even far above in the real world he could feel the Velvet Room as it was shackled within the Prison of Regression.

It was within the span of ten minutes that Akira found himself donned in his black metaverse costume with his hair slicked back; a small change compared to his usual frizzy-hair in the case that he encountered Goro within the Metaverse. As he entered Mementos; he’d realised he’d actually forgotten to bring Paradise Lost and Tyrant Pistol along with him in his rush, but it hadn’t mattered as they still appeared on his person.

A familiar honking noise welled from its depths as a familiar small blue car came into view. Well, it was more accurate to say that the tower of items held down on the back came into view first. “Big Bro! All of the lower floors have closed!” Jose parked in front of him and quickly scrambled out, “There was a big rumbling noise before walls started popping up in the lower areas!”

Akira crouched down to Jose’s height and places a hand on his egg-shell head to calm him down. “Calm, Jose… are you okay?” Akira looked over the grey moon and star-clad child.

Jose nodded. “Mhmm! My car managed to get me out but I don’t think I can go back down. All of the doors won’t open for me.”  
  
“Okay, I’ll go down and check it out then,” Akira exhaled in relief before standing. He was quickly stopped, however, as Jose climbed back into his vehicle. “What are you doing?” Akira asked as Jose drove up alongside him.

“I’m coming with you of course!” Jose chirped. “This is an excellent opportunity to see what could cause a complete shutdown of the collective unconscious of humans. It may increase and assist in my research. Do not worry, I can defend myself.”

Akira wasn’t worried about that. He’d seen Jose toss around bombs with the strength of Megidolaoans and run over shadows underfoot with his car. He was more worried that he was genuinely considering having Jose, who was by all accounts a _child_ accompany him. Unfortunately, his better judgement failed to win out.

“Okay then, let’s see if you can keep up,” Akira grinned as he broke into a dead-sprint, Futsunushi’s influence over him increasing within the Metaverse compared to how it had been in the real world. Akira blurred through the path of Qimranut, Jose keeping pace the whole way down till they reached the second floor, a familiar well with red etchings barring their path.

“See? These things started popping up… it’s making gathering flowers difficult…” Jose said as the two approached.

Akira stared at it for a moment, eventually placing a hand on the etched wall that blocked the way further downwards. A familiar heat emanated from his chest as the world shifted; the door beneath his hands rumbling as it slid out of place and into non-existence.

Akira smirked as he made stepped forward but stopped at the lack of an engine following him. He looked back to see Jose out of his car looking around in befuddlement.

“Jose?”

No response.

He took a few steps towards him before Jose recoiled in surprise.

“Ah!” Jose let out, yellow eyes widening. “You just vanished through the wall big bro!”

Akira rose a brow and looked at the empty opening behind him. Raising a hand and pushing it through the opening, he couldn’t say he felt anything there. “It doesn’t feel like there’s a wall to me?” he uttered and looked back at Jose only to find him looking at his outstretched arm in amazement.

Jose moved forward but stopped just a couple inches before the edge of his wrist. Akira watched as he tried to move forward but failed to do so.

“Hmm…” Jose looked downcast as he still tried to move forward but only made to seem as if he was pushing at an invisible wall. “Nope… the wall’s still here for me… how are you doing that?” Jose asked as he looked at the red-etched wall that Akira’s outstretched arm seemed to sink into without any rhyme-or-reason.

Akira didn’t know how to respond, instead, he knelt down and gently grabbed Jose’s hand and pressed it forward. It stopped mid-air not moving an inch forward and Akira could see as the palm of Jose’s metal hands flattened perfectly against an invisible surface. Grabbing a hand of his own and pushing forward, Akira was met with a lack of resistance on his part, able to move past whatever was preventing Jose from proceeding.

Akira could hazard a guess as to exactly how he was moving forward. He could feel as his own body shifted between realities; this one and the one within his pendant. He could feel as he was pulled between a Mementos that’s depths he’d opened and one he hadn’t and most likely only he could feel it, judging by Jose’s lack of ability to proceed the effect most probable not extending further than Akira’s own body.

It was something he’d noticed when he’d first arrived; he’d always had a connection to Mementos wherever he was and he knew it had something to do with the reality hanging from his chest. When he’d first entered the Mementos of this world his pendant had blurred the division between this reality and his own allowing him to slip through where the line blurred.

In the real world, he’d been able to feel his own Persona; something he’d never been able to do before and they were able to influence his body to a certain degree. Enhancing his physical abilities, making him faster and stronger, endurable as they prevented a knife from slitting his throat when he’d threatened Tsuda all the months ago.

The pendant Igor had forged Akira knew to be more than it let on; the biggest reminder of this fact being Wakaba Isshiki and the cognition of her that had been the one to die as opposed to the real one. Just as the pendant could blur the reality between the worlds; it allowed a cognitive memory of Wakaba Isshiki from his own reality to take the place of the real Wakaba.

His pendant was able to blur the line between his Mementos and this one. The line between his reality and this one weakening within him; his reality having once been fused with Mementos allowed him to access his Persona to a certain degree in the real world. The history of his own world was able to affect what happened here. It was how Wakaba had survived; a fragment of his own reality falling between that blurred line and that fragment repeated the death of Wakaba from his world at the same time the Wakaba of this world was meant to die. The only thing was that Akira wasn’t entirely sure behind the _how_ of any of the inner workings of the pendant, the only one able to truly explain to him currently imprisoned by Yaldabaoth.

He wasn’t one to turn a gift away but the way an item forged from his reality was able to so heavily affect an outside reality gave Akira straying thoughts at times.

Shaking his head Akira looked at Jose. “I’ll go on ahead. I need to take care of somethings down there. Will you be okay with staying up here?” Akira looked Jose in the eyes.

Jose nodded slightly downcast but nodded nonetheless as he wasn’t able to get past the wall. “Okay… but make sure to get me flowers for my studies.”

Akira chuckled. “I’ll make sure to get you some flowers,” he nodded as he stood back up and walked down the escalators leading down to the Path of Aiyatsbus. The emanating heat from his pendant eased as he passed through the wall.

**Aeon Arcana – Rank 3!**

* * *

Akira’s knew from past experience that there were sixty-five more floors till he reached the Path of Iweleth and subsequently the Prison of Regression. He’d once tried to proceed past the Path of Iweleth a year ago but the entrance failed to open for him at the time.

He had a hunch it wouldn’t this time.

With Futsunishi aiding him to an even greater degree than in reality; Akira blitzed past the shadows that roamed the depths of Mementos. At the end of the Path of Aiyatsbus once more he felt a heat emanate from his chest as he watched the wall in front of him disappear. Any further thoughts of pondering the why behind him being able to proceed were swiftly discarded as Futsunushi lurched into existence behind him.

It could feel Morgana below as he almost finished forming; the dregs of human hope almost being forged as Igor’s last-ditch effort. Abruptly the tiles beneath Akira’s feet shattered as he disappeared in a burst of speed. In a matter of minutes, he’d blasted past the eight floors of Chemdah, the ten floors of Kaitul, twelve floors of Akseriyyuth, thirteen floors of Adyesach, and the fourteen floors of Sheriruth before he found himself before the door of Iweleth.

He walked up to the door; placing his hand against it he felt his chest heat up but rather than an uncomfortable warmth it felt like lava flowed through his veins; akin to when the fragment of his realities Wakaba fell into the real world, replaying her death. Even with lava flowing through his veins and his own body wracked in pain he lifted his hand and pressed it against Iweleth. The door rumbled as the giant slabs of etched concrete rose, allowing Akira passage into its depths. Rather than fading the heat within his veins intensified as he sprinted through the depths of Mementos.

It was soon that Akira found himself deep within the Prison of Regression before the Quarantine Cell housing the true Velvet Room. Futsunushi disappeared back into his mask as they could both feel _something_ fighting its way through the Quarantine Cell and into the prison.

Akira could barely stop the grin that tugged at his face as a red-and-black pool bulged from the ground before exploding revealing Morgana. The familiar yellow of a velvet room’s resident faded from Morgana’s eyes to a velvet blue. With Morgana looking around with an almost confused franticness, it pained Akira to do this as he placed his hand over Morgana’s rotund head pressing his thumb against his forehead.

“Dormina.”

It was Morgana’s duty to guide the Trickster to avert ruin and Akira was no longer the Trickster. That title belonged to someone else in this reality. It was Akira’s duty to ensure Morgana was delivered to the Trickster by any means necessary. Morgana was out like a light, Akira catching his small prone form before he could collapse against the floor. Akira’s heart welled as he took in Morgana’s breathing form, tears of joy threatening to fall even as his veins continued to course with lava.

“Who’s there?!” a voice yelled, the shadow guards of the depths finally having noticed that there was someone outside of their cells. “An intruder?!”

Akira stood up as Futsunushi manifested within the depths, Morgana cradled within his arms as the god of swords hovered imperiously behind him. Identical swords floated in the air as the shadows erupted into corrupted versions of Fuu-ki, Sui-Ki and Kin-Ki. Akira wasn’t going to take any chances when it came to ensuring Morgana’s safety.

Akira didn’t look up as he ordered Futsunushi.

“Charge. Myriad Slashes.”

The corrupted forms of the predecessors to Ongyo-Ki’s fusion fell dead in the face of the ultimate persona of the magician arcana. Swords glowed an ominous red before flashing forward, once, twice, then thrice before returning to their wielder. Less than five seconds had passed before the battle ended.

Ensuring that Morgana was cradled safely, Akira began making his way out of the depths of Mementos swiftly, Futsunushi enhancing his base agility as he once more ascended through the sixty-seven floors of Mementos, arriving at the entrance.

He crouched down as he laid Morgana’s sleeping form against a pillar, but he couldn’t just leave Morgana like this. Two weapons formed in his hands, a scimitar with a golden handle and a slingshot made of a similar metal. The Sword of Liangshan and the Liangyang, they weren’t the strongest of weapons but they would allow Morgana to protect himself.

As much as he wanted to leave Claiomh Solais and Sudarshana in Morgana’s possession, it would likely raise questions but also hinder his growth something Akira didn’t want if he was to face the Holy Grail in the future.

Raising a hand to Morgana’s head and placing a thumb on his forehead once more, Akira whispered.

“Patra.”

Morgana stirred beneath his hand, blue eyes looking at directly at Akira.

“Makajama.”

The blue of Morgana’s eyes dulled as his memory was wiped, just as it had once been in Akira’s reality. One day, when he returned to the Velvet Room those memories would be restored. One more time, Akira used his power on Morgana.

“Marin Karin…"

"You have been tasked with finding the Trickster, prevent the coming Ruin. This is your duty…” Akira whispered as he left a deep-seated compulsion to fulfil those orders within the depths of Morgana’s mind.

Morgana had only ever been given a feeling to find the Trickster which all occurred by happenstance. This time, Akira would make sure that Morgana knew what to do. Removing his hand, he ducked behind a pillar as the moments before Morgana would act upon those orders would occur.

Watching silently, he looked on as Morgana shook his head, picked up his weapons and trotted out of Mementos with a confused look on his face, soon to travel from Palace to Palace in search of the Trickster. The moment Akira had seen him leave he sunk against the pillar, the lava flowing within his veins disappearing as the pendant’s glow died down.

The game had begun and it was his duty to rig the game in the favour of the Trickster.

Shaking his head and getting up he left Mementos, a warm heat pervaded his body as reality blurred, the line between worlds thinning before he was once more in front of Shibuya station.

* * *

Akira was waiting at a traffic light, the pedestrian light red as cars passed by in front of him. Headphones on and listening to some soothing piano music, Akira fingered the pendant around his neck, its familiar coldness relaxing.

It was around late afternoon when Akira found himself in Shibuya, deciding to make his way home and get ready for dinner he began his trek back to the house he and Goro shared. Mementos always left large fatigue on both the body and mind.

He was therefore slightly irritated as he was roughly pushed to the side not once but twice; his grasp on the pendant falling loose but still staying attached to the cord around his neck. He noticed someone run ahead of him.

He looked up and saw the pedestrian light was still red.

His brow furrowed.

In his peripheral vision, he could see an oncoming truck barrel down the road at high speeds. The headphones around his ears slipped onto his neck as he rushed forward, grabbing the second girl that had pushed him aside, the other having been pushed out of harm’s way.

Akira’s next moment was that of bright lights, pain and ambulances.

He was marginally glad that Futsunushi had resistance to physical attacks, because judging from the many shattered ribs he could feel, that truck should have killed him. He was gladder that Paradise Lost and Tyrant Pistol hadn’t returned with him from Mementos.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he pushed himself into a seated position with a groan, his ribs shifting uncomfortably, well painfully actually, as he moved. Akira was decidedly uncomfortable when someone began shining a light in his eye. Shaking them off with irritation, he looked at whoever it was, his eyesight blurry only to be seized by the arms, dragged up gently and placed on a stretcher. Judging by the blue uniform and the bright flashing lights, they were most likely paramedics.

“Holy shit, they’re alive!” he heard one of them remark before he passed out, the toll of a whole days’ worth of Mementos then being hit by a truck becoming noticeable. Strangely he was also pretty sure he’d heard someone sobbing.

* * *

It was close to seven in the evening as Goro burst through the entrance to the Shibuya Private Hospital and with ill-concealed haste made his way to the receptionist’s desk. The receptionist had barely looked up before he’d asked for Akira’s location. “I’m looking for an Akira Kurusu, I received a call an hour ago asking to come in,” Goro blew out as his index finger tapped in agitation.

The receptionist looked at him for a moment before typing into her computer. “I’m going to assume you aren’t family. Are you his guardian?” she looked at Goro.

Goro froze.

“Yes, I’m his guardian,” Goro nodded quickly. That seemed to please the receptionist as she pulled out her drawer and withdrew a lanyard with the words ‘VISITOR’ splayed across it. She handed it to him along with a sheet of paper, “I’ll need you to fill out that form and return it to me before you leave. Kurusu-san’s room is Room 5-A in the Intensive Care Unit ward.”

Goro snatched the lanyard and sheet, taking nary a moment to place the lanyard around his neck before dashing off in the direction of the Intensive Care Unit ward. It took a few minutes before he found it, slipping through the open door he found Akira laying on a bed, an IV and heart monitor attached to his arm and strapped to his finger respectively. Beneath the hospital clothes they’d garbed him in Goro could see his chest and most likely below had been wrapped in large swathes of compression gauze.

Grasping the edge of the hospital bed, Goro found himself breathing heavily, wanting to make sure that Akira was okay but didn’t know whether he could touch him.

“Would you be Goro Akechi?” a voice asked causing him to whirl around in surprise, not having noticed that the room he’d entered was a shared room.

A doctor with a stethoscope hung around his neck walked up to him. “I’m Doctor Hisegawa, the one in charge of Kurusu-san and Yoshizawa-san,” he greeted politely while extending a hand. Goro extended his own glove-clad hand as his eyes took in the other patient in the room. Yoshizawa sounded familiar

She looked familiar with red hair, pale skin, and a beauty mark beneath her left eye, the colour of which he was unable to discern with her eyes being closed. She was similarly wrapped with gauze, a small amount wrapped around her head where dried blood was absorbed and an IV and heart monitor attached to her with the addition of a respirator; small puffs of air fogging the machine as she took in shallow but constant breaths. The four of them weren’t the only in the room Goro noticed; a young girl and an older male by the red-headed girl’s bedside.

The girl had a similar shade of red to the patient but as opposed to how the patients' were in a ponytail; hers was more akin to a waterfall that fell straight down. She also lacked the beauty mark under the left of her eye but wore a pair of spectacles instead. Looking over to the male Goro found himself surprised that he’d actually recognised him.

“Director Yoshizawa?” Goro muttered, the familiar face of Shinichi Yoshizawa, director of one of the news outlets he’d been to many times, surprising to find in the same room as him.

The man looked up, brows raising in surprise as brown met Goro’s red. “Akechi-san?” he muttered while the one who Goro had quickly come to realise as his daughter Sumire looked up. Then that meant that the girl on the hospital bed was…

Kasumi Yoshizawa.

“Ahem…” the doctor who’s hand he was still grasping coughed awkwardly causing Goro to let go as if his hand had been burned. “Thank you,” the doctor thanked before turning so that both Goro and the Yoshizawa’s were in his field of vision, “Now that the both of you are here I can you the assessment of both Kurusu-san and Yoshizawa-san.”

Goro inclined his head. “Why the both of them together? Is there a link between the two?” he asked, frayed nerves forcing him to keep himself talking.

The doctor gave him a strange look before a gleam of understanding dawned in his orbs. “Kurusu-san and Yoshizawa-san were both injured within the same vehicle accident; given that they shared a similarity of injuries, for the most part, I decided it was best to hold off until someone arrived for Kurusu-san,” Doctor Hisegawa explained.

“Now I have both good news and bad news,” the doctor said as he walked over to the wall between Akira’s and Yoshizawa’s beds, plucking a clipboard from the wall. “I’m not going to sugar-coat it, both of them should be dead. The speed at which they were both struck should have rendered the two of them dead on impact; it’s quite frankly a miracle that they two are alive. Rest assured, however, that the two of them should make a full recovery given time.”

Director Yoshizawa seemed to sag in relief, while Sumire Yoshizawa sobbed. Goro was just relieved to hear Akira would be okay.

“That was the good news. Now onto the bad news,” Doctor Hisegawa exhaled tiredly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yoshizawa-san is currently within a minor coma, likely shock-induced. She also has a minor amount of broken bones mostly centred around her ribs while we found hairlines fractures around her temple, the shock from the injury causing her to fall into the coma. We’ve also found several broken ligaments and fractures around her lower body, her knees and lower legs containing the majority.”

Director Yoshizawa had a sharp intake of breath. “H-How long will she be asleep for?” he asked hesitantly, putting everything else aside for the moment.

Fortunately, Doctor Hisegawa gave him and Sumire a smile, “We’ve projected that it shouldn’t be any longer than a month, a month and a half given extenuating circumstances. Of course, this is excluding any therapy required for her to gain her mobility and to ensure that all of her injuries are healed.”

Yoshizawa-san sagged in relief as he held Sumire tight to him, a tear of joy falling from his cheeks. The news that she’d only be in a coma for such a short period of time was a relief to hear compared to finding it could have been permanent or worse that she was dead. Sumire’s sobbing had died down into a quiet silence. “Thank you, Hisegawa-san,” Shinichi thanked Doctor Hisegawa who only nodded before turning to Goro.

Goro stood up straighter.

“Kurusu-san while not falling into a coma sustained the majority of the injuries between the two,” Hisegawa sighed as he moved over to a lightbox on the wall and placed an X-Ray scan on it.

“We had to do a shallow X-ray so we knew what we were dealing with. If you look here…” he said pointing towards the torso shown in the X-ray, and just from a glance you could see the broken fragments of bone and cracks along the right side of the ribcage. “The body of Kurusu-san’s sternum has hairline fractures running through the whole length of it while the numbers one through to ten of his ribs alongside the right-side are in differing states of either hairline fractures, broken, or outright shattered.”

The doctor took down the X-Ray and turned off the lightbox. “We assume this was the side Kurusu-san was struck, it’s nothing short of a miracle that his whole right side wasn’t shattered and caved-in from taking most of the impact; much less piercing through his lungs and several vital organs,” Doctor Hisegawa said professionally but turned to Shinichi with a look. “Truthfully, if Kurusu-san hadn’t taken most of the impact we don’t believe that Yoshizawa-san would have survived the impact. It’s thanks to him that Yoshizawa-san is still alive.”

Shinichi nodded, sending a grateful look towards both Akira and Goro.

A wet shuddering cough pierced the silence.

“W-way to make everything sound depressing Doc,” a wheezy voice spoke immediately after, Goro’s head shooting over to Akira as he slowly struggled to get up. He rushed over, about to place a hand on his chest to push him down before recalling his injuries.

“You need to lay down, Kurusu-san,” Hisegawa placed his hands on Akira’s shoulders and gently pushed him back down being careful to avoid placing too much pressure on the teen. Grabbing a flashlight from his coat pocket he flashed it in one eye then the other, Akira flinching slightly from the sudden bright light. “Your pupils seem to be working fine, can you look up for me? Recite the alphabet?”

Akira did so.

“Well, no signs of concussion and your mental faculties seem to be sound,” Doctor Hisegawa leaned back and scratched the back of his head looking down at Akira in amazement. “Sorry for my language but kid you’re a bloody medical miracle. We dosed you with enough painkillers to keep you out for the next week, you shouldn’t be able to even speak straight.”

Akira snorted but stopped abruptly as he clutched lightly at his chest and wheezed. “I’m seeing l-little dancing demon snowmen and metal angels looking down at m-me grumpily so I’d say those painkillers are still working. Considering I can’t feel anything below my chest that’s saying something,” he joked with a stutter but the last of his sentence causing Hisegawa’s brows to furrow.

Pulling down the sheets, revealing his legs, Hisegawa took out his flashlight and flipped it placing the metal end on Akira’s legs. “Let me know if you feel anything,” he said as he ran the end of his flashlight down the length of Akira’s right leg.

“I can feel it but it feels like my legs covered in a layer of foam,” Akira said, this time without wheezing but judging from his slightly heavy breath his injuries still had an effect on him. The doctor did the same for his other leg getting the same response.

“You had me worried for a second. I’d thought maybe your T-11 or T-12 discs had slipped out,” Hisegawa shook his head in relief. “I think that’s just the painkillers numbing agent. You weren’t supposed to actually be awake so it shouldn’t be too surprising if you can’t really feel anything for the next couple of days.”

Doctor Hisegawa turned to the three visitors. “That’s all in-terms of injuries so I’ll take my leave for now. If you need anything just press the help button and it’ll notify my pager. Just a reminder that visiting hours end at nine,” he said as he bowed before walking out of the door closing it behind him.

Goro looked down at Akira who just gave him a shaky smile. Goro’s eyes narrowed. The sound of chairs shuffling and feet moving cause both Akira and Goro to look up and find the two conscious Yoshizawa’s before Akira’s bed.

“Kurusu-san, I wish to thank you for saving my daughters,” Shinichi Yoshizawa bowed lowly while Sumire did the same.

Goro didn’t think he’d ever head Akira speechless. Turning around he saw Akira had actually passed out, the painkillers knocking him back out.

“Ah… it seems we may have shocked him,” Shinichi chuckled lowly unperturbed that his daughter’s saviour had fallen back asleep. Shinichi then turned to Goro.

“Akechi-kun, it’s good to see you again,” Shinichi extended a hand to which Goro shook. Off to the side, Sumire was looking down at both Akira and Kasumi. “If I may be intrusive, might I ask how you know this young man?” Shinichi asked, a glance at the three showing who he was talking about. Given the topic of the previous conversation, it wasn't all too terribly hard to decipher the pronoun game.

“We actually live together, I’m his guardian,” Goro replied as he looked at Akira’s sleeping form. “I got a call at six while I was at the precinct saying he’d been in an accident. I rushed here as soon as I could.”

Shinichi rose a brow. “Oh, you take care of him? I wasn’t aware that you could become a guardian at a young age.”

Goro realised he’d slipped up. He _wasn’t_ Akira’s guardian, he didn’t actually have one. “Well more like he takes care of me. Truthfully we’re housemates, we’ve lived together for two years now; at this point, I’m basically his guardian,” Goro mixed truths with lies through gritted teeth.

“It’s not my place to pry. The young man did save my daughter, after all, it would be rude of me to pry into either of your lives,” Shinichi’s brow still rose but eventually shook his head. “I-I just want to thank the both of you.”

Goro looked at him in surprise.

“Kurusu-san for saving my daughters and you for being here for Kurusu-san,” Shinichi explained. “I understand that you’ve been quiet about your private life whenever you come to the station, but it doesn’t take much for a father like me to see when a child is an orphan. If you ever need my assistance; know that I’m always happy to lend my help.”

Shinichi surprised Goro even further by bowing at his waist, towards _him_.

“T-Thank you, Director Yoshizawa,” Goro sputtered but was cut off as Shinichi looked at him.

“Please after what Kurusu-san and you have done for me and my family, call me Shinichi,” Shinichi requested.

“Sh-Shinichi-san…” Goro stumbled over his words, the end result causing Shinichi to smile.

“As much as I would like to stay and thank Kurusu-san when he wakes up, I think it’s best if Sumire and I leave for now to gather some things for Kasumi. Also, to give you and Kurusu-san some privacy,” Shinichi said as he straightened himself.

“Sumire?” he called out.

Sumire lingered by Akira’s bed for a moment longer than she lingered at Kasumi’s before she followed her father out of the door, eyes trained on the floor. Goro watched the door close before he sank, sitting at the foot of Akira’s bed.

“You seem happy,” Akira’s wheezy voice entered Goro’s ears causing him to look at the teen who was now suddenly awake.

“You can’t take a thank you,” Goro retorted causing Akira to nod his head conceding. “They’re really thankful, you know?”

“I know… I…” Akira said as he laid his head against the pillow supplied to him by the hospital. “How do you accept thanks for something that happened by accident?”

“By saying ‘you’re welcome’ …”

Akira stayed silent for a moment. “Heh… maybe you’re right…”

The two sat in silence.

A loud gurgle broke that silence, Goro looking at Akira in amusement as his face fell flush. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast, okay?!” A deep chuckle left Goro’s chest as he got up and gently pat Akira’s leg careful not to place too much pressure on it.

“I’ll go get us some food, do you want anything?”

“Can I get some pudding?”

“Something that you won’t choke on, I don’t know how much or what you can actually eat right now,” Goro denied with a shake of his head.

Akira pouted. “Can I have some ramen soup or something? Or even just miso soup?”

Goro nodded, closing the door behind him as he made his way to the hospital cafeteria. When he returned with a tray in hand Akira was once again asleep. He stayed there for a few minutes longer; eating through the cheap sushi he had bought and leaving the container of miso soup on Akira’s side table before he left to go home and pack some stuff for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA bet none of you were expecting that to be the result of the last chapter’s cliffhanger! I still don’t know what I’m doing with this story, I'm actually not too sure where to go after this chapter. 
> 
> This was about as far as I thought it'd get for the prologue arc so I might honestly do a time-skip or something aaaaaand I know how I'm going to start the next chapter.
> 
> SKIP!
> 
> Also if anyone was wondering what Akira would look like with his hair slicked back, imagine the Persona 5 DLC of the Protagonist dressed as Kazuma Kiryu; they have the same hair-style.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, no one has told me if they actually read the chapter summary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here we are folks with Chapter 6. I might start slowing down after this. Been churning out a chapter a day and my sleep schedule is getting out of wack

Relief flooded Akira as the low-powered Dia he forced through into the real world shifted the floating bone shards within his torso into something closer to their original positions rather than having them free-floating around his organs. As much as he wanted to use Salvation on himself, he knew if he did so and had his body make a full recovery within the span of three days, he’d be upgrading from medical miracle to test subject in a matter of minutes. As it was, it was best to take it slow with using Persona powers in the real world, no matter how weak they ended becoming outside of the Metaverse.

Over the past three days in the hospital, Akira had become intimately acquainted on how people shouldn’t survive being hit by a seven-tonne truck speeding at eighty kilometres per hour and then being tossed through the air like a limp ragdoll before coming to a stop on hard concrete. It turned out the paramedics that had picked him and Kasumi Yoshizawa from the accident had talked to public security in order to get CCTV footage so they could better survey if there may have been any other areas of their bodies they needed to check.

Instead, they chose to explain in great lengths how lucky he and Kasumi-san were to be alive. With a slight groan, Akira shifted up-right and laid back against the hospital pillow, his headphones slipping as he did so. Goro had been nice enough to bring in some of his stuff, some spare clothes, phone charger, and Akira’s spare headphones since they’d been shattered in the crash. They were also the reason behind the cuts along Akira’s neck.

But back to having his bones shifted around. In the past three days, Akira had similarly become acquainted to how weird it felt to have a majority of his ribcage be akin to shard fragments; if he placed pressure in the right place he was pretty sure he could feel the outside flesh of his torso contact against his lung. It was a disgusting feeling he did not want to be feeling again after he’d tried it.

_*creak*_

He looked up as the door to their room opened, a familiar river of red along with a pair of glasses in front of red orbs entered the room quietly, gently shutting the door behind her.

Akira gave Sumire Yoshizawa a small smile, he would’ve added a wave but too much movement was still difficult with his arms feeling like they were wrapped in contact due to still being hyped up on painkillers. It was interesting to know, however, that Metatron could be grumpy and that Akira could see him, of course, he wasn’t actually sure if that really was Metatron or if his doped-up mind made him see things. He was eighty-five percent sure that it was a painkiller-induced hallucination since Metatron’s face was made of steel.

With Shinichi being the director of a news station and Goro still required to go to school along with his duties down at the precinct, it left Sumire as the primary visitor of the two. Sumire gave him a small sad smile, taking a seat quietly between him and her sister who’d yet to wake up, rearranging her bedsheets as she tended to her sister. With a shrug, Akira put his headphones back on to escape the silence; classical music soothing.

Akira passed the time listening to his music.

He could feel someone looking at him intently. Considering there was only one other person awake in the room, it wasn’t difficult to hazard a guess as to who it may have been.

“Sumire-san, is there something you need?” Akira inquired gently, shaking his headphones lose once more and shut them off with a click. He found Sumire had shifted her chair to face him at some point; the girl looking at him stunned that he could tell she’d been staring.

A small cute blush adorned her face for a moment before it disappeared, replaced once more by a small sad smile and downcast eyes. “I-I wanted to apologize to you, Kurusu-san…” she looked at him sadly, “It was my fault you were injured…” she whispered.

Akira gave her a curious look. “If I recall, you were not the one that pushed me in front of a truck, in fact, I recall that I voluntarily leapt in front of the truck,” Akira said as rested against the headboard the hospital bed.

Sumire shook her head. “But I’m the reason that you and Kasumi were injured!” she said heatedly, “If I hadn’t ran away, you and Kasumi would be okay…”

Akira stayed quiet, able to see that this wasn’t so much an apology as it was a mix between an apology and a vent of frustrations, and seeing as Akira didn’t need an apology because of his actions as an idiot, he was more than willing to allow Sumire to vent.

“The whole reason this happened was because I’m not as good as Kasumi,” Sumire whispered. “I ran away from Kasumi because I wasn’t good enough like her. I didn’t look at the road as I ran and it’s only thanks to Kasumi that I’m here, and to you that Kasumi is still alive.”

Akira was beginning the regret his decision to allow her to vent, the way her rant was going wasn’t one he was liking.

“Sometimes I think it would have been better if Kasumi hadn’t saved me…”

Akira… for a lack of better words felt like something was wrong here. What Sumire was saying, it reminded him of when he’d fought Akechi on Shido’s ship and how he’d continued to lie to himself, believing that the Phantom Thieves weren’t his friends. Sumire reminded him of that moment.

“Yoshizawa-san… you don’t really feel that way, do you?” Akira asked causing her to look up.

“H-Huh?”

Akira shook his head. “You said you didn’t look both ways when you were running away from your sister, and I don’t think that you’re explicitly wanting to… die,” Akira said. “This seems more like something that you’ve been thinking on, pondering _after_ the accident. Would I be correct?”

Sumire looked at him in stunned silence but eventually gave him a downcast nod.

“Would you like to talk about it? I have time.”

Akira had all the time in the next month to listen. Sumire looked at him hesitantly before nodding once more.

“K-Kasumi and I… w-we promised each other when we were younger that we would go to the internationals with each other, as a duo,” Sumire said as she got lost in the past. “But as time went on Kasumi proved to be better at everything… she was better at recalling her moves, she was faster, and her agility was better than mine…” a slight tremble wracked Sumire’s body, Akira only able to look at her in concern. “She was that one that decided what we would do and I would only follow, she’d make our rooms match and our clothes coordinate… sometimes I’d wished I could be like her or even just _be_ her…”

“She’s the top performer while I’m just average… after our training session three days ago, I couldn’t take it… the thought kept coming back. Every day for the last three days, my mind went back to it. Kasumi is the one everyone wants. I’m just the average sister of Kasumi…” Sumire seemed to get lost oven further. “I realised after the accident that she’s the one people really want… Sumire’s the one who’s useless. Pointless… Who would care if she died?”

Akira hated this self-deprecating attitude. “I can name two people who’d care off the top of my head,” Akira said quietly. “Your sister was willing to sacrifice everything for you and I can tell your father would have been devastated if you’d died.”

Sumire looked at him in open-mouth shock, abruptly pulled out of the past and into the present.

“Sumire-san… do you really want to die?” Akira inquired gently, quietly, “Your death would cause no small number of people that care about you to grieve… just as those same people would have grieved had Kasumi died.”

Sumire’s eyes seemed to tear up. “I-I- I don’t k-know…” she whispered.

Akira pushed forward, “Sumire… from what you’ve told me, you've whole life you’ve spent comparing yourself to Kasumi, to your sister. To be blunt, that’s completely stupid.”

Sumire looked at him, confusion marred with overwhelming emotions reflected in her ruby orbs.

“You are Sumire Yoshizawa. Not Kasumi Yoshizawa. And not anyone else. You are good at things that only Sumire Yoshizawa is good at,” Akira was like a rolling boulder. It hurt to see someone as precious as Sumire believe she was better off dead. “The only person you should compare yourself to is the Sumire Yoshizawa of yesterday. If you’re just the slightest bit better; then that’s an accomplishment. Comparing yourself to your sister isn’t the way to measure your skill or ability. Don’t let anyone else decide your worth, that’s only something you can do, and something you should only do when you’ve truly tried to be the best ‘Sumire’ you can be.”

The look in Sumire’s eyes showed that she wasn’t entirely convinced but even he could see that the self-doubt that was plaguing her was joined by something a little brighter.

Hope.

“I know coming from someone you’ve just met might be a bit disbelieving but-"

“No!”

Akira looked at Sumire. Her face blushed red.

“I-I mean… maybe… you’re right…” Sumire fidgeted in her seat. “Having someone say that… that I could be the best ‘Sumire’ rather than the best ‘Sister of Kasumi’… it feels like someone outside of Kasumi believes that I can be better.”

“I don’t think your sister is the only one that believes in you,” Akira shook his head correcting her, “Your father, your family, maybe your teachers… there are most likely many people who believe in you. You’re so used to seeing yourself as ‘lesser’ that you’ve likely forgotten… at least that’s what I’d like to hope to believe.”

Something in Akira’s words seemed to resound with Sumire if the way she seemed to straighten the slightest bit in her seat indicated. But doubts still warred in her eyes.

“But… what about the ones that want Kasumi… the ones that don’t want Sumire?” she asked, no small amount of self-doubt and loathing from likely years of build-up still affecting her.

Akira shrugged but was swiftly reminded that he was missing half of his ribs. “What about them? If they want Kasumi then let them have Kasumi. You need to find people that want Sumire, simple as that. But to do that… you need to find out who Sumire is, not who Kasumi’s sister is.”

As Sumire stared at him, Akira was suddenly hyper-aware of how exhausting their conversation had been. “But what if everyone at my school wants Kasumi?” Sumire asked again, searching for an answer.

“Switch schools, start over,” Akira shrugged again. “Find people who want to befriend Sumire because she is Sumire. I’m sure someone out there would willing to befriend you for you.”  
  
Sumire looked at him as if the sun rose and set from his body.

“T-Then… would you be my friend…?” Akira looked over as Sumire ducked her head down, eyes downcast even as she asked.

“Of course.”

He smiled.

“My name is Akira Kurusu, it’s a pleasure to meet you Sumire-san,” Akira held out his hand, to which Sumire gave him a watery smile.

“It’s wonderful to meet you as well, Akira-san.” Akira felt time freeze as Sumire’s small hand was engulfed by his own.

**I am thou, thou art I…**

**Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

**It shall become the wings of rebellion**

**that shall free thy shattered soul.**

**With the birth of the Faith Persona,**

**I have obtained the winds of blessing that**

**shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Time resumed as he eventually had to let go, the strain on lifting his arm for even more than thirty seconds proved difficult. Even with the self-doubt that was still in Sumire’s eyes, it was relieving to see that the darkness that clouded her eyes had lifted somewhat.

“O-Oh! I’m so sorry, I was only meant to apologize. I’m sorry for telling you all of that,” Sumire sputtered as she realised that the whole reason she’d talked to Akira in the first place was to apologise.

“No need to worry about it,” Akira shook his head and smiled comfortingly.

* _clap clap*_

The sound of clapping came from the corner of the room, Sumire shrieking in surprise as both her and Akira noticed Goro sitting in the corner, a book opened on his lap as he clapped.

“The two of you are so both depressingly sweet together I’m almost afraid I might get either cavities or seasonal depression,” Goro remarked with a smirk.

“How long have you been there for?” Akira asked as Sumire’s face lit up in mortification.

Goro shrugged his shoulders. “Somewhere around the time that Yoshizawa-san was staring at you when you had your headphones on.”

Akira’s eyes narrowed. “That was at the beginning.”

“Indeed, it was.”

Goro deftly caught the headphones that went sailing towards him, the weak throw of their owner making it easy to pluck out of the air. Collapsing them so they were in a smaller form he placed them on the table beside him.

“I guess you don’t want your ramen then,” Goro held up the small takeaway container of food, causing Akira to pout and Sumire to watch as the two interacted.

* * *

Akira sat down gingerly in one of Leblanc’s booths, a month having passed since the accident. His injuries had for the most part been healed but his right side would be weaker permanently since his second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth ribs were all basically shattered into dust. Akira had mentally laughed at the doctors the moment they’d said that; as soon as his bi-weekly examinations were over and he was completely free from their surveying eyes he’d be using Salvation on himself and fix his weakened ribs.

For the meantime he was relaxing at Leblanc for two reasons; he’d hadn’t had Sojiro’s coffee or curry in over a month and he needed his fix stat and the other being that if his hunch was correct then the Trickster would be arriving today. Only one of those was important to him, and it sure as hell wasn’t the Trickster.

“I’d thought you’d almost gotten yourself killed brat, you disappeared on me,” Sojiro shook his head as he brought a menu out to Akira.

Akira sent him a cheeky grinned, “Almost, I got hit by a truck and half of my ribs were broken or shattered in impact. I got released a few days ago.”

“W-What the hell did you just say?!” Sojiro recoiled in shock, his eyes roaming Akira’s form for injuries.

Akira shrugged. “Hit by a truck, ribs broken and now I need my fix. Can I have whatever’s on today’s special?” he asked handing the menu back, Sojiro dumbly accepting it in his hands.

Eventually, Sojiro just exhaled heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I took my eye off you for a month and you almost got yourself killed. I told you to stay out of trouble,” he said giving Akira the stink-eye.

Akira chuckled sheepishly. “Hey, trouble found me. I was minding my own business before two girls jumped in front of a speeding truck by accident. I couldn’t just not do something,” he replied with false indignation, the familiar ambience of Leblanc causing him to relax.

“Something tells me that wasn’t the actual reason,” Sojiro shook his head before giving Akira a look with a suggestive smirk. “Tell me you at least got their numbers.”

Akira snorted at Sojiro’s attempt. “One of them. Sisters. Twins actually.”

“Hoo boy…” Sojiro looked at him with wide eyes. “Only one?”

Akira winced at that question. “Kasumi, the other one. She’s currently in a coma, only short-term thankfully.”

Sojiro winced as well, the mood dipping. “Sorry to hear that… Well, I’ll go get started on your meal,” he said, swiftly walking away.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Akira noticed an elderly couple sitting at the other end of the café, at the booth closest to the upstairs attic. They were male and female, Akira couldn’t tell, however, if they were the same as the ones from his reality.

In a short amount of time Sojiro had brought out his meal, curry served on purple rice with a coffee of Panama Esmerelda Geisha. After a year of being a regular, Sojiro had finally let Akira access to his special stock and it made any attempt to make regular coffee without equipment like Sojiro’s taste like dirt water.

He was truly spoiled.

As Akira was eating the curry, appreciating red wine used to tenderise the meat, the door suddenly jingled and a girl entered.

She wore a black blazer jacket over a white shirt, and grey jeans tucked into a pair of boots as she entered. As she looked around the cafe, Akira caught glimpse of blood-red irises, a shade more vivid than even Sumire’s. Over her shoulder was a grey bag. Her hair was trailed down the length of her back, raven locks braided as the fell behind her, tied off with a grey ribbon.

Akira could feel it.

This was the Trickster.

It seemed his hunch had been correct.

The players were all on the board and the game was now ready to begin.

* * *

After an hour of searching and getting lost around the town of Yongen-Jaya, Rem sighed in relief as she finally reached the place she was meant to be staying at. Looking up at the sign, Leblanc, seemed to be where she’d be staying for the next year.

Opening the door, she was suddenly assaulted by the scent of coffee and curry, the smell overwhelmingly powerful. Walking in, the first thing she heard was a television news station playing on a small monitor in the corner of the café.

_“A public transit bus was driven down an opposing line with its customers still in it! The citizens can’t live in peace if this keeps up.”_

An elderly couple made some comments as a man in a pink button-up shirt and khaki’s wearing an apron noticed her. “…Oh, right,” the man muttered as he put away the newspaper he was reading, “They did say that was today.”

The elderly stood up and thanked the manager, paying him before leaving.

“Four hours for a single cup of joe… what a waste,” the manager groused before looking at her. “So, you’re Rem I’m assuming?”

Rem cocked her head. “Is Sakura-san here?”

“Yeah…” the manager muttered, “I’m Sojiro Sakura. You’ll be in my custody of the next year. I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you’re the one, huh? Not exactly what I was expecting.”

Sojiro shook his head. “Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and- actually, never mind, that doesn’t matter. Follow me,” he cut himself off mid-sentence before ordering her to follow. He then looked over her shoulder.

“You mind looking after the place for a bit brat? I need to go get her settled in.”

Rem craned her head over her shoulder to look behind her and found herself surprised that she missed the frizzy-haired teen in the back booth, a plate of what seemed to be curry and a cup of coffee in front of him.

“Of course,” the teen nodded, his grey eyes boring into her own as he took a sip of his coffee.

“Hey,” Sojiro said sternly. “None of that. She’s here on probation.”

If the teen was offended or put off he didn’t show it, instead, he only shook his head chuckled. “Just go and get her set up Sojiro, I’ll just be down here enjoying my meal.”

Sojiro nodded before making his way up some stairs into the back, Rem following suite. She was stunned to find a room filled to the brim with junk and dust.

“This is your room, I’ll at least give you sheets for your bed,” Sojiro said plainly as he turned to her. “You look like you want to say something,” he remarked, eyes narrowing.

“It’s big…” Rem said. What she wanted to say was that it was a mess but she knew that would only create friction between her and Sojiro, that was the last thing she needed right now.

“It’s on you to clean up the rest,” Sojiro merely said. “I’ll be leaving after I lock up each night. You’ll be alone at night, but don’t do anything stupid. If you cause any trouble I won’t have a problem throwing you out, am I clear?”

Rem nodded quietly.

“Look, I’ve got the gist of your situation,” Sojiro sighed. “You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injuries, then sued you,” he listed, “That’s what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. The truth doesn’t matter, someone like you would always take the fall.”

“And now that you’ve got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school,” Sojiro shook his head. “Courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents approved.”

Rem visibly winced, reminded of how quickly her parents had shipped her out of the country. Whether to get rid of her or to protect her from what people would say back home she wasn’t sure.

Sojiro noticed her wince and sagged. “Look, kid, this is the situation you’re in, and it’s up to you to deal with it. Your actions have consequences, doesn’t matter about your intentions,” he said as he rubbed the back of his head, “Just behave yourself for the year, and if nothing happened your probation will be lifted.”

“A whole year…” Rem muttered to herself.

“Your sentence lasts until next spring, right? That’s why you’re gonna be here for the coming year,” Sojiro explained. “Cause any problems and you’ll be in juvie faster than I can say anything, keep that in mind okay?”

“I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble,” Rem nodded.

Sojiro seemed satisfied with that. “We’ll be going to Shujin tomorrow. It’s the academy you’ll be attending during the course of the year, we’ll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There aren’t many places that are willing to accept someone with a criminal record, after all…”

Sojiro looked over his shoulder at the box in the middle of the room. “Your ‘luggage’ arrived a little while ago. I brought it up here for you,” he said before making his way for the stairs but stopped. “I’ll leave you to clean up, for now. I’ll call you down later for dinner,” he said, leaving for the café below.

Rem looked around the attic of Leblanc, dust bunnies floating through the air. _“This place needs a serious clean…”_ she thought to herself, as she opened the windows. Looking at the messy attic she couldn’t stop the sad thought that passed through her head.

“ _So… I’m really going to be staying here_ _for a year…”_

* * *

It was the following day that Akira found himself smirking as he made his way through the halls of Shujin Academy clad in a familiar school uniform, his headphones dangling from his neck and his blazer open.

Okay, let’s backtrack a bit.

Following his release from the hospital but before he’d seen the Trickster at Leblanc, Akira made his way to his favourite yakuza. Iwai should technically be his favourite but he was ex-yakuza.

He walked into a familiar club room, Tsuda sitting on the couch with his men around him. When Tsuda noticed him, he sagged in his chair and let out a quiet “Fuck me…” before sitting back up. Akira saw his eyes trail to the familiar briefcase in his hands.

“What do you need this time Kurusu?” he asked coarsely. Over the course of the last two years, Akira and Tsuda had become closer, not in a friendship way but more in that they were more comfortable with each other during business interactions.

Akira placed the briefcase and opened it. “Twenty million. Need you to get me into a high school. Shujin Academy. Aoyama-Itchome.”

Tsuda motioned towards one of his men who seemed to have been ready as he swiftly walked over to a liquor cabinet, poured Tsuda a glass of amber liquid which was quickly downed. “I get the feeling I shouldn’t ask this, but why the fuck you wanna go to some high school?” Tsuda asked the familiar buzz of getting hammered whenever he talked to this kid flowed through his body. He was thankful he had a bulletproof vest on him.

Akira just smiled. “No reason, I’m just bored is all.”

Tsuda looked at him. The same henchman poured him another glass which was quickly downed, “Fuck it, I don’t wanna know,” he said as he slammed the glass down onto the coffee table with a rattle, the glass refilled once more. “We can get you that shit ready for you by tomorrow. I’ll have one of my boys send you whatever shit you’ll need, the principal of that place is a weak-ass bitch that rolls over for money,” Tsuda grunted.

Akira nodded his head listlessly, “Thank you Tsuda-san.”

“I should be thanking you kid,” Tsuda snorted as he picked up the glass.

“Oh?” A black brow rose. “What do you mean?”

Tsuda made a motion, “All these weird deals we’ve been doing? They’ve been getting me into the good books of my boss. I lost a hundred-million deal on new year’s and he didn’t even bat a fucking eye.” Tsuda leaned forward. “You need shit from me, you’ll get it. I want to keep this business of ours going for as long as possible.”

Akira stood still for a moment. “I’ll be needing your services for one more year, high-pay like usual. After that… I’ll be gone."

“Good enough for me,” Tsuda reclined in his seat, “Call me if you need anything. Just a heads-up that you’ll probably need to do an entrance exam or some shit.”

Akira looked at him, “Would you be able to make up some fake school records as well? Just in case someone tries to look me up?”

Tsuda just waved his hand, “No problem.”

Akira gave Tsuda a backwards wave as he left the building.

And that was how Akira found himself in the halls of Shujin Academy, meeting with Principal Kobayakawa and Miss Kawakami. The bald overweight principal of Shujin Academy seemed to almost shine the moment his eyes fell on Akira.

“Ah, you must be Kurusu-san!” he leaned forward with a smile on his face. Now that Akira actually saw him again he was vividly reminded of the slimes in Mementos. “It’s a pleasure to have you transfer to Shujin Academy.”

Akira nodded, a small fake smile plastered onto his face as he shook Kobayakawa’s greasy hand. “I’m sorry for the sudden transfer, I’m afraid there were… issues with my previous high school. Given Shujin’s reputation, I’d thought that perhaps this would be a good school to attend,” he said, a slight widening of Kobayakawa’s eyes showed that he’d understood to go along with the lie.

“Ah yes, terrible business that, however, with the perfect results from your entrance exam and your record from your previous school, I’m sure you’ll prove to be a fine fit for the prestigious academy,” Kobayakawa’s head jiggled like a bobble-head. That part hadn’t exactly been a lie. Akira was a top-grade first-of-the-year student when it had come to his studies come the second semester of his school year so it was easy to get a perfect score on the entrance exam.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Kobayakawa continued smiling but motioned to Miss Kawakami. “Miss Kawakami here will be your homeroom teacher, she’ll be in charge of your class.”

“I’m Sadayo Kawakami. Here’s your student ID,” Miss Kawakami sounded like she’d rather be anywhere than here. Internally Akira frowned, remembering the couple the continually tried to get money out of her until he’d changed their hearts. “Please ensure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you to the guidance office,” she said as if she’d memorised this line over.

“Of course,” Akira nodded.

“Meet me outside of the faculty office tomorrow morning, I’ll have you and your fellow transfer introduced during homeroom,” Kawakami let out a sigh.

Akira perked. “Fellow transfer?”

Kobayakawa and Kawakami both looked suddenly nervous. “A-Ah, yes… we have another transfer student that shall be joining Miss Kawakami’s class. She’s yet to arrive so we can discuss her transfer.”

“I see…” Akira murmured. “Well if that’s all for today, may I take my leave? I’d like to get ready for tomorrow.”

Kobayakawa smiled “Of course, of course! We’ll see you come tomorrow morning.”

Akira stepped out of the office and into the hallway, putting away all of the transfer files he’d gotten along with his student ID.

His phone jingled. Picking it up he looked at a new message from Goro.

 **Goro:** I won’t be able to have dinner at home tonight, Niijima-san has asked for my opinion on something. Conveyor belt sushi unfortunately

 **Akira:** Don’t tell me I’ve spoiled you for sushi, have I?

 **Goro:** After my birthday, all sushi pales in comparison.

 **Akira:** Next time we get sushi we can go back to Ginza, my treat

Putting away his phone, Akira took in a deep breath. For a moment reality wavered, Akira smirked as he caught the inside of a castle as he found himself back in Shujin.

“Let’s do this…”

He wondered how Goro would react when he found out he’d suddenly applied to go to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Wow… as much as I love Sumire… her backstory is a goddamn nightmare to write with Kasumi still alive. Like I’d genuinely thought for half a moment to just delete the last chapter and start over and kill Kasumi. Of course, I’m a lazy fuck so no way that shit’s happening. 
> 
> Easy way to picture how Rem Amamiya looks is to imagine a prologue Velvet Crowe from the tales of berseria series with red eyes rather than yellow. 
> 
> Akira's new Shujin look is basically his Persona Dancing in Starlight outfit without the red gloves, and handkerchief and with his normal pant and shoes. Why? Cause it looked dope as shit and he has no reason to hide away


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trickster awakens and Akira realises that there were more than two transfer students at Shujin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well shit boys and girls here we are with Chapter 7 and now in Canon. Gonna be real here and straight say I’m gonna need some reviews because whenever I tend to write Canon events or storylines I tend to lose the story quality compared to chapters I write up on my own so I want you all to let me know how you find the chapter. 
> 
> Edit: I’m surprised I made it to chapter 7, let’s see how far I can keep this going.
> 
> Second Edit: Found out if I have to look through a playthrough to look at the dialogue, it actually significantly slows down my writing speed so the updates will start slowing down now. Yay, I can work on my sleep schedule in the meantime.
> 
> Third Edit: My sleep schedule is still messed up.
> 
> Fourth Edit: I decided to look through my bookmarks and notices someone said that this story was just below or next to Offset in terms of story quality and it had me curious. I looked at the Offset story and holy damn is that a compliment and a half.

The following day Akira began his first day at Shujin for a second time. Walking behind Kawakami on the first day was actually a new experience, especially considering the first time he’d been trapped in Kamoshida’s castle till fourth period. Judging by how Kawakami had a frustrated look on her face and the lack of another transfer student, the Trickster was already making her way through the Palace and likely being captured by Kamoshida's guards at the moment.

As Akira passed through the halls, he found it interesting not being the one being talked about. At least for the most part.

“Is that the new transfer student?”

“I heard that there were three this semester.”

“The one with the record? It’s meant to be a transfer student in 2-D.”

“He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?”

Akira’s brow scrunched up at the second comment. A third transfer student? If he recalled, he’d been the _only_ transfer student. He didn’t have time to think on that, however, as Kawakami stopped before their classroom.

“I’m meant to have you and the other transfer student introduce yourselves but since she’s not here yet, I’ll have to have you introduce yourself first,” Kawakami said before looking off to the side. “Where on earth is she?” she muttered to herself before shaking her head.

“Let’s go inside.”

Opening the door, the noise within the room quietened down slightly as she walked in and Akira followed. Everyone looked at the two of them as Kawakami came to a stop behind the podium, Akira at her side.

Once more rumours began running abound.

“I thought we were meant to have two transfer students in the class?”

“Is the delinquent chick already skipping?”

“I heard this guys’ meant to be super-smart, got a perfect score on the transfer exam. Apparently Kobayakawa accepted his transfer without any questions asked.”

“At least he won’t stab us if we look at him the wrong way.”

Akira noticed two desks empty off to the side of the classroom, and just before the two desks was-

COLD

A comforting coolness emanated from his pendant as he focused back on the present. Kawakami’s eyes narrowed as she slammed the sheaf of documents in her hand with a loud smack.

“Settle down everyone!” she ordered as the rambunctious class settled into quietened murmurs, not completely quiet but within tolerable limits for the black-haired teacher. She looked over at Akira, “Well, I’d like to introduce a new transfer student to 2-D: Akira Kurusu. Do you have anything to say?” she asked.

“…It’s a pleasure to join you,” Akira eventually said.

“Wow… his voice is so deep…” a prim-haired student muttered.

“He seems nice enough.”

“Quiet,” Kawakami huffed and shook her head, looking around she pointed towards the two open tables. “Your seat is over there, the ones behind Takamaki-san. You can choose whichever one you want.”

Akira nodded and hefted his shoulder-bag, making his way over to the table. Grey-eyes met with blue for a moment as his field of view met Ann’s.

_“Panther! NO!”_

Shaking his head, he sat in the seat in the back corner of the classroom, leaving a seat open between the two of them. As class began, Akira took a deep breath, his world wavering for a moment as he slipped between two different layers of reality. His view of the classroom gave way to that of one of Kamoshida’s safe rooms; if he focused he could feel the Magician’s Arcana deep below along with the Chariot and that of the Trickster in the foyer of the castle.

Abruptly he was back in Kawakami’s class, taking out his textbooks for the first period of class. He had to trust that some events would play out properly without his supervision.

* * *

Rem cursed her lack of foresight in bringing an umbrella as she followed the vulgar-looking blonde through the back-alleys of Aoyama, rain pouring down soaking her uniform. The skirt and her leggings already joining in getting soaked by the downpour. Something felt off for a moment as she walked through the alley-way but when she turned around nothing seemed amiss.

Neither noticed the rain had stopped.

“Wha-!?”

Rem looked back up quickly, the noise sounded like it had come from the blonde. She exited the alley-way and found the blonde looking up at a…

“Is… that a castle?” Rem murmured as both she and the blonde gawked.

“We didn’t… come through the wrong way though…” the blonde turned around looking at the back alley they’d come through. He looked forward at the sign that said ‘Shujin Academy’, “Yeah, this is right… so what’s goin’ on here?”

He looked at the black-haired girl. “I guess we’ll just have to go in and ask…” he said before moving into the building, Rem following suite.

The two entered some sort of foyer.

“Th-That’s weird… where’s the school?” the blonde teen muttered to himself as Rem looked around at the strange interior.

“I don’t remember the school looking like a castle yesterday,” Rem muttered, the blonde boy catching her words.

“This _should_ be the school… I think so anyway…” he said, scratching the back of his head I confusion before pulling out his phone. “Out of service? Where the heck did we end up?”

Rem checked her own phone only to find a similar message in the top left corner of her phone where the mobile carrier would usually be.

“The sign was for the school, right?” the blonde asked worriedly.

“Yeah… It said Shujin Academy in kanji,” Rem confirmed as she moved towards the blonde only to find him suddenly whirling on her.

“Right!? You saw it too!”

The two were stopped by the sound of metal clanking rhythmically against the floor. Both Rem and the blonde teen recoiled as a man in a suit of medieval armour along with a green face-mask walked towards them.

“Geez, you freaked me out…” The blonde exhaled in relief, “Who’re you? You a student?”

Rem looked at the teen as if he was an idiot. What student wore full-body metal armour to school?

“Man, your costume’s impressive… Is that armour real?” the blonde teen walked up to him before Rem could tell him to get back, the sword and shield the man wielded were definitely real.

The man in armour said nothing.

“C’mon, don’t just stand there. Say somethin’,” the teen crossed his arm. Rem and the teen moved took a nervous step back as another suit of armour approached the two.

“…H-Hey, what’s goin’ on?” the teen asked nervously.

“What is this…?” Rem muttered as she pulled the teen back, taking several back herself for good measure.

“I don’t know!” the blonde teen shouted as he pulled himself out of her grasp and stood protectively before her, “This shit’s real though…”

The men in armour proceeded on the two, the two continuing to take regressive steps backwards. “C-Calm down! Time out, man!” the blonde teen said before whirling on Rem, “We’ve gotta run!”

Rem was more than down for that idea. “Got it,” she nodded.

“Y-Yeah, we better not mess with ‘em! Go!” he shouted but the two were quickly stopped by another pair of men in suits of armour. “Ugh, what’s with these guys?” the vulgar boy cursed.

The man in the suit of armour slammed his shield into his back causing the blonde to crumple in pain. “Gah!” the blonde screamed, “Y-You’re gonna break my bones, dammit! The hell do you think you’re – Aagh!”

The four men in armour advanced on the two of them, a shield slammed into Rem’s temple, crumpling to the floor unconscious.

* * *

“Hey… hey wake up!” a voice called causing Rem to lurch upright, narrowly missing slamming her forehead into someone’s face.

“W-Woah!” the person calling her recoiled. Rem found herself waking up on an uncomfortable hard wooden surface, cradling her temple as she did so. She could feel a bruise welling.

Rem was shocked to find herself in some sort of dungeon, shackles and chains around littered around the walls of a tiny room. A metal door along with bars blocked any way out, and the only other person with her was the blonde from earlier. “You all right?” the teen asked looking at her in concern.

“I’ve been better…” Rem murmured as she shook away the pain to try and make sense of the situation.

“I see…” he said, turning around and taking in the dank dungeon-like cellar they were in. “Looks like this ain’t no dream… Ugh... what’s going on?!” he growled before rushing forward and slamming into the metal door with his shoulder.

“Hey, let us outta here! I know there’s someone out there!” the blonde shouted kicking the door for one good measure before turning back. “Dammit, where are we? Is this some kinda movie set?!” the blonde rumbled, an undertone of panic hidden in his voice.

“AAAAAAAAAARGH!” a yell of pain howled through the dungeons, Rem’s head shooting up along with the blonde teen.

“Th-The hell was that just now?!” the blonde teen said shocked. The two could hear pleas for help further into the dungeon. “Whoa… whoa whoa whoa whoa! You’re shittin’ me, right?” the teen was going into full-blown panic.

And admittedly, so was Rem. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster against her ribcage, beneath her breast.

“Isn’t there some way outta here?! C’mon we gotta do something!” the teen turned around looking around the cell for any way to escape, Rem doing the same all the while struggling to get her breathing under control.

Even as they looked around the two were unable to find anything.

The blonde teen cocked his, however, as he heard the sounds of clanking metal footsteps. “Huh? You hear that?” he asked turning and running to the door. Rem could _see_ it as men in metal armour approached the cell.

“Be glad your punishment has been decided upon,” the leader of the group said as they arrived in front of their cell. “Your charge is ‘unlawful entry’. For this, you will be sentenced to death.”

Rem’s blood ran cold.

“Say what!?” the blonde recoiled shocked but he was soon even more so as a vaguely familiar voice spoke up.

“No one’s allowed to do as they please in my castle,” a tall muscled man in a bathrobe and underwear appeared.

“Huh? Wait… is that you, Kamoshida?” the teen gripped the bars tightly in surprise.

“You…” Rem muttered, “You’re the one from this morning.” She remembered him offering her a ride in the morning since it was raining like he’d done with the blonde-haired girl but something about him had revulsed her so she’d declined. Looking at him now, she knew her feelings about him had some truth to them.

“I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it’d be you, Sakamoto…” the one the teen called Kamoshida leaned forward at the blonde, allowing Rem a look at his sickly glowing yellow eyes. “Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven’t learned your lesson at all, huh?” Kamoshida jeered before he noticed her.

“And you brought a friend this time… because you can’t do anything for yourself. But hmmm… you do look nice…” he leered at her, Rem flinching back at his lecherous gaze.

“The hell do you think you’re saying, asshole?!” the blonde shouted angrily, his grip on the bars tightening.

“Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don’t understand the position you’re in at all,” Kamoshida looked down at the blonde, “Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me – the king.”

“The punishment for that is death,” Kamoshida gave a dark smirk. “It’s time for an execution! Take him out!” he ordered with a wave of his hand, the door swiftly unlocked as the lead guard pulled out a ring of keys.

“Wh-What!?” the blonde said as the guards entered the room. “Dammit,” the teen cursed before taking a running tackle at one of them, shoulder-barging the shield causing one to stumble, “I ain’t down for this shit! C’mon, we’re outta here!” he yelled.

A guard walked up to him, and with a wind-up punched the teen in the stomach with a gauntleted fist, the blonde letting out a cry of pain as he crumpled against the wall.

“Nnngh… Owww…” the teen clutched his stomach in pain.

Rem seeing that the guards were surrounding him with swords raised tried to pull them back, but the effort was futile.

“Just go, get outta here! These guys are serious!” the blonde shouted even as he took another punch to the gut.

“Oh? Running away are we?” Kamoshida leered at her. “He mustn’t have been a good friend if you’d leave him like that.

“She ain’t a friend…” the blonde spat before looking straight at her, “C’mon! Hurry up and go!”

“What’s the matter? Too scared to run away?” Kamoshida said. “Don’t worry though, you can stay and be my plaything… but this one… I’ll focus on this one’s execution for the moment…” he said looking down at the blonde teen’s crumpled form.

Two of the guards held the teen up by his arms, Kamoshida moving forward and punching him in the face. One held Rem against the wall at sword point as Kamoshida continued to punch the teen, blows rocking the teens form as he did so. One blow was strong enough to send the teen to the ground, his arms ripped from the guards’ grasp from the force of the blow.

Kamoshida spat at him. “Hmph… where’d your energy from earlier go?” he mocked as a guard picked the teen up by the scruff of his neck before throwing him back on the ground. “A peasant like you isn’t worth beating,” Kamoshida sneered, “I’ll have you killed right now.”

That was it.

“Have you lost your mind!?” Rem shouted in disgust.

“Hm…?” Kamoshida looked over at her. “You want to die as well? Fine. I was going to have you be one of my toys, but I’ll just have you killed,” he kicked her in the gut sending her tumbling against the wall, the back of her head smacking against the stone. “Hold her there… after the peasant, it’s her turn to die.”

She felt as she was held against the wall, two spears crossing over her neck.

“No… I don’t wanna die…” the blonde looked up at Kamoshida in despair.

A blue ethereal butterfly passed Rem’s vision, even as the guards held her there.

_“This truly is an unjust game. The chances of winning are almost none.”_

Rem could hear the voice of a young girl speak.

_“But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…”_

The sound of tinkling chains rattled in her skull, a bead of sweat budding on her temple as pain blossomed.

**_Oh my… are you simply going to watch?_ **

**_It’s such a pity when pretty things get broken._ **

****

**_Of course, it’s not like he’s anything to us._ **

**_He’ll simply die and we move on._ **

****

**_But do tell me, my dear, if you are to let him die…_ **

**_was your previous decision a mistake then?_ **

****

Rem remembered how she’d torn the man away from the woman he was trying to sexually assault back in her hometown. How the results of her actions had led her to this moment.

“It wasn’t… I’d do it again in a heartbeat!”

She watched as the blonde was lifted by his neck, a sword poised to slice his throat. She struggled as the spears holding her bent and wavered.

****

**_Such ferocity my dear… very well…_ **

**_Call my name and I shall come._ **

****

**_Live fast. Love hard. Die young._ **

**_Leave a good-smelling corpse._ **

****

**_Now… vow to me!_ **

The pain that blossomed within her mind surged into an unbridled inferno.

**_I am thou, thou art I…_ **

**_Thou who wouldst steal thine own justice,_ **

**_unafraid of the consequences that awaits._ **

****

**_Thou who art willing to clad thyself in the night,_ **

**_even if thy soul is to be blackened by hell itself._**

****

**_Call my name and we shall show the world_ **

**_that we play by our own rules, my dear._ **

****

“Execute him!”

“That’s enough!” Rem yelled.

“What was that?” Kamoshida hissed turning over his shoulder to look at her in disdain, disbelieving someone was speaking up against him. “If you desire to be killed that much then so be it!” he nodded to the guard beside her.

A shield slammed into her face, the fake glasses she wore falling to the ground with a clatter. A hand grabbed her and yanked her up, sword against her neck as the guards awaited their king’s orders.

A sword rose.

Rem’s eyes snapped open, an otherworldly force pushing the guards away, the armour clattering to the ground empty and lifeless. She could feel something on her face, a white smooth domino mask, two connected ovals covering her face. She grasped at it and _pulled_.

Uncaring of the pain nor the blood that dripped down her face she tore off the mask, her body come alight in a blaze of blue fire.

A sultry giggle reverberated in the air.

The rattling of chains sounded as the blaze lifted from Rem, a being manifesting from the flames themselves, chains grasped within Rem’s hands as it rose. Behind her, a feminine figure formed. Clad in clothing akin to skin-tight leather black as night, and hood that shadowed its face, the tips of it reminiscent of a feline it rose.

Rem let the chains fly free.

Black wings with white feathers flew from the figure’s hips, gale winds rushing forward around the room.

Kamoshida and the blonde looked up at her. “Wha… what the…?” the blonde whispered.

**“ _I am the thief of the shadowed night – ‘Selina’!”_**

The figure said, a feminine voice sounding out.

 ** _“I am the rebel’s soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I may deign to help you…”_** __ the voice crooned sultrily.

“I want to live…” Rem said nodding.

**_“A wise choice. Very well, my dear… my power is at your disposal…”_ **

“Who the hell are you!?” Kamoshida roared looking at Rem and Selina. “Guards!” Like mannequins, the guards reassembled themselves from broken pieces of armour. “Start by killing that one! You’ll learn the true strength of my men!” The guards shook violently before bursting into pools of red and black, forming into a fusion between a ghost and a pumpkin. Weapons formed in Rem’s hands; a pair of long iron nails fastened on opposite ends to each other by a length of chain.

 ** _“Let us be rid of these skittering nuisances, my dear. It’s time to steal back our freedom,”_** Selina crooned in Rem’s ears. Rem could feel as the darkness within Selina wished to set the tear unrestricted. She grasped at her mask and tore it free, Selina giggling in delight as dark energy poured out.

“Eiha!”

The dark energy rendered one of the two pumpkin foes dust. Rem dashed forward, dodging a lantern swing as she did so and plunged the nails within her hands into where she assumed the eye-sockets of this _thing_ were. Both nails struck true as they sunk into the two orbs of light that acted as eyes.

The pumpkin-ghost froze before disappearing into flakes of darkness, dissipating like a shadow in the light.

Rem relaxed as the immediate threat disappeared. She felt as Selina receded back into her mask, the white domino mask appearing once more on her face.

Sakamoto!

Rem whirled around only to find him looking up at her in shock and awe. “What… What was that just now?”

Kamoshida strutted forward, heavy steps as he approached Rem.

“You little…-”

He didn’t get to finish as Sakamoto bull-rushed and shoulder-checked him to the ground. “Ha! You like that, you son of a bitch!?” Sakamoto cheered.

Rem swiped the ring of keys that were on the floor, “Lock the cell!” she shouted as she tossed the keys to the blonde who ran out of the cell, herself following close behind.

“Okay, it’s locked!” Sakamoto said as he clicked the lock closed and threw away the keys.

“Damn you…!” Kamoshida roared as he staggered to his feet.

“What was that just now…” Sakamoto looked at her, but his eyes widened as he noticed her clothes. “And… your clothes…”

Rem’s eyes drifted down as she noticed her clothes had changed.

She wore a very short red crop top that covered her breasts with a black underlayer that covered from underneath the crop-top all the way to her abdomen and led down into a pair of black shorts, the whole thing skin-tight and a belt over her hips. A pair of black thigh-high leggings covered her legs that led into white boots, complimenting her mask. Red gloves that extended into black sleeves hugged her all the way to her upper arms while a pair of studded metal pauldrons sat on her shoulders. If she shook her head she could feel that her hair was free of its braid and flowing free in a ponytail.

A flash of blue flames engulfed Rem before she was back in her school uniform, her clothes were miraculously dry while her hair was back in its braid.

“Whoa… they changed back to normal!”

“You bastards!” Kamoshida lunged at the bars of the cell, causing Rem and Sakamoto to recoil.

“God, this’s effin’ nuts!” Sakamoto cradled his head but turned to Rem. “Anyway, let’s scram! You lead the way!”

Rem smirked. “With pleasure.”

The two ran up the pathway but the door was locked and Sakamoto had already thrown the keys into the flowing waterway. Looking around Rem found a ledge that they could jump over easy enough. After they jumped over they found themselves needing to jump over a trio of precarious cages sitting in the water in order to get to the other side.

“Yeesh, can we really get across this?” Sakamoto asked as he looked at the rushing water that passed through the cages but gave a look back at where Kamoshida was yelling in the cell. “On the other hand, there’s nowhere else we can try… alright, let’s get hoppin’.”

After running over the crates and reaching another locked door, the two realised the only way through was to pass through a small tunnel in one of the cells. “I’ll, uh… I’ll go first yeah?” Sakamoto said, not taking a no for an answer and something Rem was glad for since she was wearing a skirt.

“Is… this a drawbridge?” Sakamoto asked as they continued running passing over said drawbridge. “Seriously what is this place?”

“Ack!” Rem yelped as Sakamoto suddenly dragged her behind a mound of barrels and crates, looking over showed that on the other side of the waterway a pair of guards were looking for them. “We’ve gotta find a way outta this goddamn place!” Sakamoto hissed.

Rem agreed.

Ensuring that the guards wouldn’t see them, the two ascended a nearby spiral staircase, eventually leading to a pair of wooden doors.

“Is this the exit?” Sakamoto huffed after running full-sprint up the stairs, “Let’s get the hell outta this place!” He kicked the door open revealing that it was actually another set of dungeons, the one they’d been in most likely having been a lower level.

“You gotta be jokin’… this ain’t an exit, where the hell is this place?” he muttered as the duo sprinted through the labyrinthine dungeon. The two came up across a drawbridge eventually with the bridge drawn and a statue of Kamoshida with a disgusting grin.

“Shit, this bridge’s raised up! Ain’t there some way to lower it!” Sakamoto cursed as he kicked as the bridge. Rem looked at the statue curiously, there was a line separating the jaw of the statue from the rest of its face.

“Hey, you there!”

“Did you say something?” Rem asked as she looked at Sakamoto only to get a confused look in return.

“Uh that wasn’t me…” he shook his head.

“Blondie! Braided Hair! Look over here!” the voice called out once more, Rem and Sakamoto looking around cautiously. Rem saw in the corner of her eyes a tiny figure struggling against one of the jail cells, it looked like some sort of bipedal-

“Is that a cat?” Rem asked as she looked at it.

“What is that thing!?” Sakamoto shouted stunned.

“A cat? A monster cat?” Rem hedged as she crouched down and poked it through the jail cell bars where she assumed its nose would be. The thing pulled back a bit but still looked at Rem and Sakamoto.

“You’re not soldiers of this castle, right!? Get me out of here!” the strange creature pleaded, struggling against the cell bars. It pointed to a set of keys on the wall, “Look, the key’s right there!”

“We’re trying to get out of here!” Sakamoto growled, “I mean you obviously look like an enemy too-”

_*click*_

The cell door swung open as Rem unlocked the door and pulled the lever that held the door closed.

“What the hell?!” the blonde yelled incredulously at Rem.

“The enemy of our enemy is our friend,” Rem replied when she noticed Sakamoto’s incredulous stare, “Besides the longer we stay here, the more likely that sleazebag might get us.”

“Ah, freedom tastes so great,” the strange creature hissed in delight before looking at Rem, “Thanks for letting me go Braided Hair, now time to get out of here. Follow me if you wanna leave this place!” it said before scrambling off, Rem and Sakamoto following on its heels.

“What are you doing you damned Monster Cat,” Sakamoto growled as it stopped by the statue of Kamoshida from earlier.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m lowering the bridge,” the strange creature’s eyes narrowed at Sakamoto, “And I am NOT a monster cat! Or a cat! My name is Morgana,” the now-named Morgana said before turning to Rem.

“You noticed it earlier right? There’s something off about this statue, see if you can figure out how to lower the bridge,” Morgana said before she? he? it? moved to the side allowing her access to the statue.

Rem quickly moved forward, groping around the jaw area she’d noticed wasn’t connected to the rest of the face. Her hand found purchase in the statue’s mouth and to her surprise easily slid downwards and stopping with an audible click. The green jewels acting as the statue’s eyes shone yellow as the drawbridge fell on both sides allowing the group passage.

“How were we supposed to know to do that!?” Sakamoto yelled causing Morgana to scowl at him.

“Hmph, amateur. Come on, if we want to get out of here we have to keep going!” Morgana shook his head before running forward before the two, taking the lead.

The three skid to a halt as a guard came out of one of the hallways.

“Ah, shit it’s them!” the blonde cursed as he slid on his ass, beside him Rem burst into a flash of blue fire as her clothes changed once more.

“Tch, you amateur! Stay still!” Morgana said as he hopped onto Sakamoto’s head before standing in front of him and turning to look at Rem who was once again looking at her clothes. “Hey, you! You could fight, right! Let’s go!”

Rem nodded tearing off her mask and readying her twin chain-nails.

Morgana jumped forward.

“Come… Zorro!”

In a burst of flame a large being manifested behind Morgana. A black-clad being dressed to that of the nobleman vigilante with a cape, a sombrero cordobés and a mask covering its face and a rapier in hand. Its upper body was large and muscled as if it was constantly holding its breath while its legs were thin and spindly.

“Y-You got one of those things too!?” Sakamoto muttered as Selina materialised behind Rem the moment she’d torn of her mask.

The guard burst into that of the ghost-pumpkin from earlier and a red floating demon. “We shall promptly shut them up!” Morgana stated with a humph as he? he crossed his arms.

“The shadows have taken up intercept positions. It looks like it’s not about capturing us anymore... they’re out for blood!” Morgana stated as he hopped on his feet a western-style sword draped over his shoulder noticing their stances, “I’ll back you up, so fight like your life depends on it! Let’s go!”

Rem nodded, throwing one nail at the red demon impaling it before pulling it towards her with the chain. Selina released the build-up of dark energy she’d been preparing at the demon sending it reeling back as it tried to regain its footing, its wings flapping in the air.

“Hmph, I knew you were an amateur,” Morgana smiled gleefully at Rem. “This is how you fight! Zorro, show your might!” he commanded, a strong gale wind surrounded the pumpkin-ghost cutting into its being. The ghost tumbled to the ground incapacitated with a pitched cry.

“Strike at an enemy’s weakness to knock them down! Use that opening to strike again!” Morgana advised helpfully, “That’s the most basic of basics, so remember it well!”

Rem nodded.

“Now let’s hurry up and get through this! Garu!” Morgana ordered, Zorro sent another gust of wind at the pumpkin-ghost while Selina sent an Eiha at the demon finishing the two enemies off.

In the back of her mind, Rem could feel Selina strengthen with the gathered experience of their defeated enemies.

“Not bad,” Morgana complimented as his sword disappeared, the same with Rem’s chain-nails, “Your Persona’s pretty powerful.”

“Persona?” Sakamoto asked as he walked up to the two, “Y’mean that thing that comes outta you guys all dramatic-like?”

“Yes,” Morgana nodded. “You saw how Braided Hair here ripped off her mark when she summoned it, right? Well everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that-”

He was cut off as Rem burst into flames once more, her outfit changing back into the academy uniform again.

Sakamoto took a step back “Huh? She turned back to normal again…”

“Hm, it looks like you don’t have full control over your power yet…” Morgana theorized. “The transformation shouldn’t normally dissolve like that. After all-” he was cut off by Sakamoto this time.

“Rrgh, that’s enough! This crap doesn’t make sense!” the teen growled in barely-concealed frustration.

“Can’t you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie!?” Morgana asked in his own frustration because he was constantly being interrupted.

The blonde just growled back, “Don’t call me Blondie! My name’s Ryuji…”

“You know what, there’s no time for me to lecture you! You wanna escape this place in one piece, right? Let’s go already!” Morgana just shook his bobble-head before pushing his paw into the aether and pulling out some vials of medicine, handing them to Rem. “Oh, but before that- take these. Use them carefully, okay?”

Rem accepted the medicines, placing them into her shoulder bag.

“Come on, we should hurry. It’s not much farther to the exit,” Morgana stated, the three advancing upwards through the dank dungeons. The trio came across another set of drawbridges and statues, but this one came with cells adjacent to it.

“Woah, what the hell? Ain’t this the volleyball team?” Sakamoto asked as he noticed a fallen teen inside the cell wearing a track uniform. “We need to get them outta here!” he said as he tried to find a set of keys to use.

“You idiot, they aren’t real! They’re just cognitions of the ruler of this place, the real ones are fine!” Morgana hissed as the blonde, “We need to get going already-”

The drawbridge lowered, a guard advancing on them.

Rem burst into flames, her rebel’s outfit garbing her. “Grr, you should’ve listened to me!” Morgana winced as he drew his sword, Zorro appearing behind him.

“It’s time to fight,” Rem stated, tearing her ask and releasing Selina.

“Heh, I’m glad at least someone has their head on right out of the two of you,” Morgana smirked, the guard bursting into a small woman flying in the air with a pair of wings on her back. “Heh looks like it’s raring to go too.”

Rem took the first move, “Eiha!” Darkness converged on one of the two pixie-like creatures, instantly decimating it from existence.

“Nice job, now the other one!” Morgana ordered, Rem tearing off her mask causing Selina to appear and sent another spout of dark energy to converge onto the second of the pixie-like creature killing it in the same manner as the first.

“All right! Let’s get away before more show up!” Morgana said.

“Hold up, we can’t just leave these guys here!” Sakamoto protested.

“Grr! I told you! They’re not real! Whoever it is they are in the real world, they’re fine!” Morgana bristled at the blonde. “If you want to stay here then be my guest, but I’m getting out of here!” he said before rushing on ahead.

Rem nodded. “We’ve been here long enough as it is. We need to leave, now.”

“Dammit… Fine, I get it! Let’s get out of here…” Sakamoto muttered, one more backwards glance at the fallen tracksuit-wearing teen before the two followed after Morgana.

* * *

“The entrance hall is right above here! The exit’s close… Keep it up!” Morgana urged the two to hurry as they ascended the stairs, just beyond it Rem could make out the sight of the foyer they’d ben in earlier.

Running to the other end of the hall, Morgana stopped before a door. “We’re here!” he said with finality, Rem and Sakamoto huffing slightly behind him.

“Finally! We’re saved!” the blonde male groaned as he slumped with his hands on his knees. He rushed forward to the door that Morgana wasn’t standing forward and tried to open it. “It’s not opening, did’ya trick us you jerk?!” he whirled on Morgana.

Rem let out a suffering sigh as she shook her head. “If you’d stop rushing to conclusions and actually look, you can tell this is the exit,” she said as she stepped over Morgana and opened the other door with a click. “This is the side we came in from, that door would most likely lead further in…”

“Heh, you catch on quick, don’t you… unlike Blondie…” Morgana complimented as the two entered.

“H-Hey, wait up!” Sakamoto muttered as he rushed after the two as they entered a dead-end room, “Where are we supposed to get out from here!? There aren’t even any windows!”

“Ugh, amateur…” Morgana groaned before looking at Rem, “You’ve been catching on quick, can you at least figure it out?”

Rem looked around, spotting a grate on the wall just above the bookshelves. Judging by the draft that came in, it likely led to the exterior of the place they were in. “Ventilation shaft,” she finally said, pointing at the metal grate.

“That’s right! As I thought, you’re a natural at this,” Morgana jumped with a nod. “It leads all the way outside.”

“I see…” Sakamoto said, an understanding dawning in his eyes. “Then we just gotta get that metallic mesh off! And a one, and a-” he said jumping up the bookshelf, his hand grasping the metallic mesh before he lost his footing. As he fell backwards, the momentum generated by his fall and his grip on the mesh caused it to be pulled free.

“Whoa!” he shouted startled as he fell. He groaned as he got back up, covered in dust. “Owww… Crap! The enemy didn’t hear is, did they?” he wondered as he dusted himself off before looking at Rem with a grin. “Seriously, we’re finally getting outta here!”

“You should wait on celebrating until you actually get out,” Morgana advised as he swung his arms/paws. “Now get going!”

“But…” In a rare moment of non-defiance, Sakamoto looked at Morgana in concern, “What about you?”

“There’s still something I have to do. I’m going to check this place out,” Morgana shook his head, “From here on, we’re going our separate ways.”

Rem looked at the cat gratefully, “Thank you for your help, Morgana,” she bowed.

“Heh, at least someone’s got manners,” Morgana grinned, “Be careful on your way, okay?”

Sakamoto and Rem nodded, the blonde quickly scrambling up the bookcase and into the ventilation shaft.

“Hey!” Morgana called out to Rem causing her to pause just as she was about to ascend the bookcase. “If you ever come back here, I could use your help,” Morgana said.

Rem thought it over for a moment, Selina silent but a quiet urging to accept rung throughout her form. “If I return… then perhaps I’ll deign to help…” Rem eventually said before ambling up the bookcase and climbing through.

“Those two would certainly prove useful… especially that braided-haired one…” Morgana hummed as he watched them leave, before eventually making his way back into this castle with Zorro at his back.

* * *

Akira hummed as fourth period ended and the lunch bell rang. He packed up his stuff and made his way to the school cafeteria. He sat down taking out the lunch he’d prepared for the day, a box of white rice and kara-age chicken, one for both himself and Goro.

He’d felt throughout the day as his mind shifted between different layers of realities, between the real world and the metaverse without completely sinking through. As he felt Morgana, Ryuji and the Trickster make their way to the exit point of Kamoshida’s castle he idly wondered if this was how Futaba had felt, constantly being connected on some level to every little thing that occurred within a palace.

It was strange being able to access Kamoshida’s palace, like skimming through the surface of a pool. He theorized that since he was inside Shujin, the location of Kamoshida’s palace he was able to slip through cracks within reality minutely. His consciousness could manifest within the metaverse and feel around but to actually do something he’d need to go in there properly.

!

Akira looked up and found himself surprised that someone had sat down across from him. He found himself moreso surprised that he actually knew the person.

“Sumire-san?” Akira asked hesitantly as he found a familiar red-headed girl with long flowing hair and black spectacles sitting across from him giving him a shy smile, a large container with her.

As far as he knew she didn’t attend Shujin, so what was going on?

“Hello Akira-kun,” Sumire gave him a small smile, “I didn’t know you were attending school here…”

“Me? What about you?” Akira asked still stunned, sifting through his memories to figure out if he ever remembered seeing red-hair as vivid as Sumire’s in his reality.

Sumire’s smile turned slightly brittle. “Do you remember that conversation we had in the hospital? About making friends that would care about me for me?” she asked.

Akira nodded turning his full-attention towards the red-haired gymnast.

“Well, I realised when I went back to school that most people did want Kasumi over me… and then I remembered what you said, about changing schools,” Sumire said her eyes shying slightly from his.

“And you decided to change schools just like that?” Akira said slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected for an off-hand comment to result in something like this.

Sumire nodded. “For the most part, yes. My father around that time also suggested for me to go to a councillor… Councillor Maruki also suggested that sometimes if you can’t solve your problems it’s okay to run away… so I ended up transferring here to Shujin as an honours student with my gymnastics skill.”

Akira nodded understandingly, it had tuned out that his words had affected her more than he’d realised. Judging by the way she seemed to sit up slightly straighter while darkness no longer seemed to fog her eyes it seemed to have been positive for the most part, something Akira was relieved to see.

“I’m glad you’ve found a path to follow Sumire,” Akira gave her a happy smile earning him a shy one in return. “Have you made any friends on your first day so far?” he asked but immediately he could tell he’d accidentally stepped on a sensitive topic by how the skin around Sumire’s eyes drooped.

She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Most people here don’t like the thought of me being an honour student… it seems even here people still know that Kasumi’s talents are better than mine…”

Akira’s eyes narrowed in annoyance at the thought that somehow for some reason the students of Shujin were bothering her. “Hey, forget about them yeah?” he said leaning forward with his elbows on the table. “Remember what I told you? The only person you should compare yourself to is the Sumire of yesterday. You remember, right?”

Sumire looked at him taken aback, eyes wide. “U-uh y-yes…”

“Good. Don’t listen to whatever anyone says about you. You decide your worth…” Akira made sure she knew he was serious. “And if anyone bothers you, just come to me. I’ll sort them straight.”

Sumire just looked at him for a moment before breaking out into a small light giggle. “You’re right, Akira-san… actually…” Sumire’s eyes drifted down to his open blazer, at the collar that stated he was a second year, “Akira-senpai… If I ever forget… would you stay and remind me?”

Akira huffed in fake offence. “As if you’d even need to ask. I told you we’re friends and I don’t go back on my word,” he held his hand to his chest earning him another light giggle.

Sumire stopped giggling and looked pointedly at Akira all of a sudden, “You still didn’t tell me that you came to Shujin though. If I’d known sooner I would’ve talked to you about my transfer.”

Akira shrugged, “I didn’t have much time. I transferred on Saturday, it was a pretty sudden thing all thing considered. It was sort of a last-minute decision.”

“Oh, you must be talented if you were accepted so quickly,” Sumire complimented earning her a raised look.

“This coming from the girl with the honours,” Akira gave Sumire a pointed look causing her to blush. “Come on, we only have twenty minutes before lunch ends and neither of us have touched our lunches.”

Sumire nodded with a beaming smile.

Out of the corner of his hearing, he could hear students around the cafeteria talking about them. Judging from Sumire’s lack of reaction, it didn’t seem like she could hear as people talked.

“Those two know each other?”

“She’s so lucky. The new guy’s cute, I actually wanted to try my chances.”

“Is that third transfer student still not here yet?”

Akira dug into his fried chicken and rice, slightly surprised to find Sumire with a gigantic lunch box of her own, it looked homemade. “Do you cook?” he asked conversationally.

Sumire looked up from her box and give him a smiling nod. “Yes. As a gymnast, I have to take care and look at the nutrition value of my food in order to stay at the best of my performance. I actually cook both mine and Kasumi’s lunches.”  
  
Akira looked at her, “You’re the cook between the two of you?” he asked earning him a nod. “Would you like to exchange recipes sometime then?” he offered.

“Between Goro and I, I’m the one that cooks for the both of us so it’d be nice to have something that’s nutritious. As you can tell I just make whatever will fill us up and is easy to make if I’m on a tight schedule,” he said motioning to his own food, which when compared to Sumire’s was lacking significantly in the nutrition department.

“Hmm…” Sumire looked at Akira, almost studiously if he’d have to say looking him up and down, “I’d have to consider what you both do exercise-wise in your spare time but it would be my pleasure to. Just say when and I’d love to exchange recipes.”

“Of course. It’s a deal,” Akira smiled.

Sumire beaming smile lit up the cafeteria. Figuratively.

“How is Kasumi-san by the way?” He wondered. If he’d remembered correctly she should’ve been awake from her coma by now.

Sumire’s lips thinned by she didn’t seem downcast as she spoke, “She’s woken up actually, but the doctors said that it would take another three months before she’s had a full recovery. They said she’d need to go through some short therapy to make sure that all the ligaments in her legs have healed completely.”

“That’s wonderful news,” Akira said. “Did you tell her about your transfer?”

Sumire nodded, her lips evening out with the slightest hints at a happy smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I did. Kasumi was sad when I told her but after I explained my reasoning, she was very supportive and understanding…” Sumire gained a wistful look in her eyes, “She was actually said she was sorry for not noticing that everyone talked to me only so that they could talk to her… I guess she really did understand…”

“You’re twins, it’s only natural that she’d want the best for you, and it’s not like you don’t see each other every evening,” Akira said.

“That’s right,” Sumire said. “She said even if we’re at different school it doesn’t mean we can’t reach our dream together. It just means we have to work twice as hard when we’re not together.”

Akira felt relief looking at Sumire. Over the course of their conversation, he’d seen as a hopeful light gleamed in her eyes, and her slight slouch straightened till she was sitting upright and smiling.

“I told you that there are people that care about you,” Akira said. “Hold them close to you and never let go.”

Sumire’s head bobbled up and down with a smile, “It’s thanks to you Akira-senpai that helped me realise that. So, thank you. Each day I’m slowly finding out who Sumire is, and it’s because of you.”

**Faith Arcana – Rank 2!**

Her eyes widened as she took out her phone. “Oh no, we only have ten minutes!” she said frantically before she dug into her giant food container, Akira just watched in amusement as she ploughed through it, the whole thing fitting into one tiny Sumire.

* * *

Akira watched as in fifth period Kawakami walked through the classroom door with a familiar black-haired girl with a long braid flowing down her back in tow. The two came to a stop in the same position he had that morning, with Kawakami behind the podium and the girl to her side.

Already people were talking.  
  
“Being super late on her first day? She really is insane…”

“She looks normal though…”

“But she might slug us if we look her in the eye…”

Akira rose a brow. These seemed like the same rumours people had hurled at him almost four years ago.

“Settle down,” Kawakami said with a huff. “Well, I’d like to introduce our other transfer student, Amamiya Rem. Today, we… had her attend from the afternoon on since she wasn’t feeling well.”

She looked at the Trickster, at Amamiya Rem. “All right, please say something to the class.”

“Nice to meet you,” Rem said impassively.

“She seems quiet… but I bet when she loses it…”

“I mean, she was arrested for assault, wasn’t she?”

“Uh… so…” Kawakami tittered awkwardly as students began to talk, “Your seat will be… over there the one that’s open. The one behind Takamaki-san and in front of Kurusu-san,” she motioned to the empty seat in front of him. “Sorry, but can the people nearby please share your textbooks with her for today?”

Rem placed her hand into her blazer pocket as she walked over, pausing by Ann’s desk for a moment.

Akira could hear Ann whisper “Lies…” as Rem approached, said girl flashing her a strange look. As Rem was about to sit down she noticed him and froze noticeably before remembering where she was.

Akira gave her a short wave.

She sat down.

“…Did you catch that? Does Takamaki-san know her?”

“Who cares about Takamaki-san? Did you see the new guy wave at her? Do they know each other?”

“You think she tried hitting on Kurusu-san before they transferred here?”

Already he could tell that more rumours were going to fly before the afternoon finished.

“Oh right! The volleyball rally’s in two days…” Kawakami muttered as she looked at the class. “Everyone’s just changed classes, so make sure you use that time to get to know each other. Well then, let’s get class started. Who’s on duty today?”

COLD

“Everyone, please rise…”

As Akira continued fifth period, for some reason he felt like he was forgetting something but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember. If he felt like he was forgetting something, chances are it was important but he just couldn’t figure it out.

Hopefully he’d remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~I have no idea what I’m doing!~
> 
> If anyone’s wondering who the inspiration is behind Rem’s Persona is, it’s Catwoman. 
> 
> Why?
> 
> Because there are so little recorded Phantom Thieves on the when you look up phantom thives wiki that are female and Catwoman was there. And if Arsène; a fictional character can be used then so can Catwoman.
> 
> Why didn’t I call her Persona Catwoman? Because in one of the animated series Catwoman and Batman go to a masquerade without masks showing that their public persona is their mask while their costumed self if their true self. So Selina is Catwoman’s mask, and hence Rem’s Persona is Selina.
> 
> If you want to know what Rem’s weapons are, look up Rider’s Chain-Nails from Fate/Stay Night basically a pair of nails attached on each end by a length of chain. 
> 
> Why did I choose that? I honestly have no idea I just wanted a weapon that would be different from Akira’s but also different from anyone else’s so that was the best I could come up with. Something that would suit a fast and nimble fighter and Sumire already has the Rapier
> 
> Her gun is a pistol like how Canon P5R Joker’s would have been. 
> 
> If you want to know what Rem’s Phantom Thief clothes look like, look up ‘Velvet Crowe Rutee Costume – Tales of Berseria’, but with a black under-layer that covers her abdomen. Her hair is the same as it is in the Rutee Costume rather than the braid found in the prologue. At this point… Rem basically looks like Velvet Crowe in her Villager or Rutee costume but with red eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira finally remembers what he'd forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. We’re here at chapter 8 and just like every other chapter I’m making the story up on the spot. I found out that I have a 45% of my grade 2000 words assignment due in five days when I began this chapter and was like O.o
> 
> That’s why this is later than a two days. Also, next few chapter will be later as well cause I’m having another round of assignments hitting me like trucks.
> 
> Let’s get this shitshow going!
> 
> Edit: Turns out some of the dialogue such as the Sumire train scene is easier to write out, but I feel that’s because I’m working with Sumire and not Kasumi so I actually have to take liberty in what I write.

Rem sighed as she stood waiting for the train at the Shibuya transfer line to Aoyama to come, wringing the water from the morning rain out of her braid and wiping the water from her fake glasses. It had only been a single day to her school life and it was already proving to be a pain.

In a single day alone, she’d heard several rumours about herself ranging from that she secretly had a knife on her person ready to stab anyone who talked to her to another rumour that her assault case was more than it let on. At one point she’d been ready to punch a guy in the face when he _sneered_ at her as she passed him on the way from class.

She shook her head, the last thing she needed right now was an actual assault case on top of what was already on her criminal record, false as it was. Just the day before Sojiro had been livid at the fact she’d skipped school, her mouth wisely staying shut as she kept quiet about the castle incident. He’d probably think she was crazy if she talked to him about it.

At least when she talked about it with Ryuji Sakamoto yesterday, he’d at least entertained the idea that it might have been real before dismissing it as a dream. He was an idiot if he thought that two people could share the same dream, or the fact that dreams left bruises on his stomach when she’d noticed his shirt had slipped upwards a little. At least he was a well-meaning idiot she supposed if he’d been willing to protect her.

She idly thought back on how Ryuji had mentioned going back there…

“Look, isn’t that her?” she heard someone say causing her to whip her head backwards, finding it to be a Shujin student talking. She closed her eyes and counted backwards from three, reigning in her frustrations. It was proving difficult.

“You mean the one with the red hair? Uh, I guess so…” a sleepy voice replied, causing her eyes to snap open and look over the pair.

She found that they actually weren’t looking at her and instead were talking about a shorter girl just ahead of her with crimson locks falling down straight like a waterfall. She was the slightest bit jealous since her own were wavy which necessitated a braid otherwise they tended to get out of hand.

“She’s so thin… It’s not fair, my hair's straight as well if I take it out of a ponytail…”

Rem looked at the stupid girl. What in the world did having straight hair have to do with being thin?

The sleepy student gave her a weird look as well. “Okay, and what’s that got to do with being thin?”

Her eavesdropping on their conversation stopped as the transfer line train arrived at the platform, halting before them with a screech.

She stood just next to the red-haired girl who was sitting down as the train approached Aoyama, feeling like a pack of sardines in the vaunted subway system of Japan. The red-haired girl looked up noticing an old lady just in front of her.

“Um… would you like to take my seat? I’ll be getting off soon…” she asked hesitantly as she slowly got up.

“Are you sure? If you insist…”

The red-haired girl moved to the side to allow the old lady through but the seat was quickly taken by a dark-haired office worker. The red-haired looked at the man startled before her expression settled to that of concerned hesitance.

“Um… E-Excuse me… that seat was for this lady…” the red-haired girl tried to get his attention to which the man looked at her for a moment before ‘sleeping’.

Rem had half a mind to slap him awake and physically drag him out of the seat. She was slowly realising that after the events of yesterday she was becoming increasingly prone to considering violence as an option. It felt liberating.

“Oh…”

“Want me to ‘wake him up’?” Rem asked the girl as she cracked her knuckles.

The red-haired girl shook her head while giving Rem a small gentle smile. “It’s okay… he might just be tired…” but even Rem could tell she didn’t believe her own words. The girl looked over to the old lady beside her with downcast eyes, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help…”

“It’s all right, dearie. Don’t you worry,” the woman assured the red-haired girl.

“O-Okay…” the red-haired girl nodded before extending a hand to the old lady’s carry-on. “Would you like me to carry that then, at least?”

“Thank you!” The luggage quickly exchanged hands as the girl picked it up with ease, “Isn’t it heavy though?”.

“I do lots of training so this is easy for me…” the girl shook her head giving the old lady a quiet smile.

Eventually, the train came to a stop, Rem rushing out as the sardines of Japan exited the doorway. She made her way up the stairs and put her ticket through the ticket reader, passing through and plucking her ticket from the other side before making her way to Shujin.

“Um… Excuse me!” a voice called out from behind.

She heard a smattering of rapid footsteps causing her to turn around finding the red-haired girl from earlier. The girl didn’t seem the slightest bit out of breath as she places her hands in front of her and gave a shallow bow. “I-I wanted to say thank you for what you did earlier…”

Rem gave her a quizzical look. “For threatening to wake that guy up?”

The girl nodded downcast, “For speaking up for me… I tried to say something but I was too afraid to say anything against him…”

“Anyone could tell he was faking being asleep. Felt wrong to just let him do that to that lady,” Rem shrugged.

The red-haired girl tittered before her vision caught onto something on Rem’s neck. “Oh… you’re a second year at Shujin Academy?”

Rem nodded, her own eyes noticing the number one within a white circle on the lapel of the girl’s blazer. “You’re a first-year,” she stated obviously.

The girl nodded, finally looking up from either the floor or her coat and directly at her eyes. “I wanted to thank you on the train… but it slipped my mind. I didn’t want to seem rude to my senpai so I thought I should thank you now.”

Rem noticed that the girl’s eyes behind her spectacles were a shade of red duller than her own.

“I’m sorry… but I have to get to class now…” The girl gave another shallow bow with her hands clasped in front of her before walking ahead.

She watched as the girl walked up the steps. Shrugging the incident to the back of her mind she pulled out her collapsible umbrella and prepared herself for more stupid rumours and her hair getting soaked again.

* * *

“I’m the social studies teacher, Mr. Ushimaru. I’ll be teaching you the rules of society this year,” Akira listened as the familiar form of Ushimaru stood at the podium. His chin rested on the palm of his hand as he looked at the teacher, but his mind was elsewhere.

It had been bothering him since the end of fifth period yesterday but in the back of his mind, he could feel as a whole Arcana’s worth of Persona writhed and squirmed in discomfort in its recesses and he could feel as other Persona were slowly becoming agitated as well.

Each and every single Persona of the Lovers Arcana, led by Ishtar were becoming restless and disquieted, these feelings were also bleeding into the other Arcana’s to a lesser degree and for the life of him Akira couldn’t figure out why. He combed over the information gleaned from his compendium but as far as he knew the closest thing that could happen was Kamoshida’s reformation but that wasn’t for another two weeks.

He shook his head as he tuned back into the lesson.

“Hmph, you all look like you’ve been spoiled growing up. Can’t wait to see who disappoints me the most this year,” Ushimaru looked over the sea of twenty-five students. “A certain dictionary defines a year as ‘a period of 365 disappointments. The book’s title is about as cynically satirical as the rest of it. It’s ‘the Devil’s Dictionary’, by Ambrose Bierce.”

Akira was already losing interest again. He’d read the book before from the school library on a rainy day when no one had sent him a message to spend time with him so he’d gone for broke and asked the student librarian for a book recommendation.

“Hey, new kid,” Ushimaru called out.

Akira looked up, but so had Rem.

“Amamiya-san,” Ushimaru corrected himself as he noticed the two of them looking at him. Rem straightened up from her slouch as Akira sunk further into his palm. “Tell me what the Devil’s Dictionary defined as the chief factor in the progress of the human race.”

Akira watched as Rem stayed silent for a moment before answering.

“Villains…”

His right brow rose the slightest bit in surprise. He’d honestly hadn’t expected her to know that; had it been him in her shoes when he’d first enrolled he’d have gotten that wrong.

“Haha, correct. ‘Malefactors’ to be more specific,” Ushimaru looked at her with a brow raised and a disdainful glance, “You actually knew that, huh?”

Akira had originally kept his head down in his reality but here as an outside observer he actually found himself disbelieving by how unprofessional the teachers here were. Here a teacher was showing open disdain towards a student and everyone accepted it.

“Sure, villains can affect the course of history. But remember that this definition is a sardonic witticism, nothing more,” Ushimaru continued onwards as if he hadn’t said what he said. “Here in the real world, villains don’t push humanity forward. All they do is spread chaos and strife.”

In the moment of short silence that followed, Akira found himself annoyed at the murmured comments that floated around the room.

“Wow, she got it right… is she really a criminal?”

“She seems like a punk, but maybe she’s actually serious about studying?”

Akira snorted. The rumour mill at Shujin spread like wildfire but even then they couldn’t even form their own opinions without listening to whatever lies anyone else said.

* _tinkle*_

Akira’s eyes bulged as he witnessed a star pop out of Rem’s head in a tiny sparkle of smaller stars that all disappeared into thin air. He looked for a moment before shaking his head tiredly. Maybe he needed to lay off on the daily coffee.

Oh, who was he kidding, he’d be getting another one from LeBlanc before the day was up.

Ushimaru continued speaking as Akira watched his eyes drill into Rem. “We don’t have any room for criminals here. Not in school, and not in society. Am I clear?”

Rem seemed to slump the ever so slightest in her chair at the comment, Ushimaru turning around to begin writing on the board. The brief moment of brevity Akira felt vanished as he just stared at Ushimaru’s back.

* * *

“I hear this incredible first-year came yesterday!”

“Wow, that girl with the red hair and glasses is really thin. Is she a first-year?”

“The criminal, the honour student, and the perfect-score transfer all arriving at the same time? Take about an accident waiting to happen.”

“Assault, blackmail, drugs… She’s done it all.”

“I hear if you look in her bag you’ll find a knife…”

Akira kept his ears open as he walked out of room 2-D, already the Shujin rumour mill was up and bustling. He took notice of how there was a pretty even split between Sumire and Rem’s rumours popping up compared to his own. Then again, his records were all fake, so it’s not like they could really come up with anything.

He casually leaned against an adjacent wall as he spied Rem watching Ann as Kamoshida ascended the stairwell, his eyes zeroing in on the bushy-pigtailed blonde. In the depths of his soul, the Persona of the Lovers Arcana vibrated restlessly, Akira passively easing them as he watched the PE teacher and quarter-European interact.

He noticed Rem stop in her movements in the middle of the hallway, her attention focused solely on the two that she didn’t even notice other students shy around her as they passed. Kamoshida continued trying to get Ann to go with him before eventually relenting after she cited an excuse about an injury, Kamoshida offering a word of warning to avoid Rem before she left.

He watched as Rem’s fist clenched the slightest bit before relaxing as Ann walked away from Kamoshida, who’d walked up the stairs the moment the blonde had left.

He stayed leaning against the wall, observing as Rem descended the stairs. After a moment he got off the wall and began walking over to the end of the corridor, taking a left to the junction where the class buildings and the practice buildings met and stopped. The junction between the buildings was an overpass walkway that connected the two buildings with glass-panes on each side showcasing the Shujin Academy courtyard and the entrance.

He casually leaned against the entrance-side railing, making himself look innocuous to other students as if he was simply enjoying his free-time when in actuality he was spending it observing Rem and Ryuji interact down at the school gates. He watched Rem nod to Ryuji before the two looked around before walking off.

Akira stayed leaning against the railing patiently, calming watching the two walk down the street. In the peripherals of his vision, he noticed a group of girls of to the side, seemingly stalking him like a group of tigers stalked a lone gazelle.

“Is that him?”

“Do you think he’s single?”

“I heard that the honour student is with him.”

“For real?”

Akira ignored them. His form seemed lackadaisical but his eyes were trained on the alleyway opposite the Shujin Academy entrance. True to his predictions, events were largely following the same path they had in his own reality, Rem and Ryuji walking out of the alleyway. Ryuji had a confused look on his face before he turned to the Trickster cradling his head.

“Um… excuse me,” a voice called out.

Akira looked to his side to see that one of the girls had split off from the group and approached him. He didn’t recognise her from previous experiences but he nonetheless stood straight and gave her a smile.

Behind her, her group of friends were giggling and blushing.

The girl had straight brown hair in a ponytail and was otherwise unremarkable. That didn’t say much since Akira hadn’t actually interacted with many of the student at Shujin in this reality or his own.

“I was wondering… but are you single?” the girl asked blushing heavily.

Akira considered his option carefully, before simply opting for the truth.

“I am.”

The girl’s eyes seemed to brighten before she bowed to him, swiftly she turned around and ran towards her group of friends. He could guess what she’d told them as the continued to giggle and blush as they looked his way.

Akira internally shook his head, turning back to the entrance. Eventually, they dispersed but not before giving him a wave to which he ignored, rather choosing to keep his vigil as Rem and Ryuji left.

The moment they’d left this time, however, he made his way back into the classroom building and up the stairs towards the rooftop. He propped it shut with a chair underneath the doorknob so that no one would follow him for the moment. He grabbed another chair and positioned it so it was facing the entrance and sat down.

The sun was close to a late afternoon/early evening blaze before they returned, Ryuji leaning against the banister of bushes at the academy’s entrance while Rem looked annoyed. By this time late in the evening, there were no longer any students leaving the academy, most having gone to stay back inside after class or go to club meetings.

He continued watching them, Rem eventually pulling out her phone and Ryuji snagging it from her hands. The world turned greyscale, the evening sun dimming for a moment as Akira shot up silently, surprised that Third Eye had activated, much less in the real world. He could see from his position as Ryuji swiped through the smartphone before tapping on the Metaverse Navigator App opening it.

The two talked some more, Ryuji shaking his head before tapping the app once more.

Akira watched as the two faded from this layer of reality, Third Eye deactivating as its use was no longer needed. The two were lucky that it was getting late in the afternoon and that there was no one else leaving the school for the moment otherwise people would've been freaking out about disappearing students.

He stood up and picked up his bag. Walking over to the door he tucked the chair away and walked through the door that separated the roof-top from the rest of the building. He never entered Shujin Academy.

He never exited Shujin that day through the front entrance either. If anyone had looked at the alleyway just opposite Shujin’s entrance thirty minutes later they would have seen Akira phase into reality and walk off as if nothing happened.

If anyone waited another seven minutes they would have borne witness to two students, a male student with short blonde hair and a girl with black braided hair appear in the same alleyway dead-tired.

And if anyone stayed just a moment longer after the two departed for some beef noodle soup?

They would have noticed a small black cat popped into existence, an annoyed glare on its face as it trotted off.

* * *

Rem sighed as she sat down on one of the courtyard seats waiting for Ryuji, her search of looking for any signs of Kamoshida’s abuse turning over nothing. She groaned, a whole afternoon wasted scurrying around the campus with nothing to show for it aside from a pair of slightly sore legs and a parched throat.

At least one of those was easily remedied.

She got up and walked over to the nearest vending machine, put in a hundred-yen note and slammed the button for an orange soda, the drink coming out with a satisfying ker-clunk. She grabbed it and popped it open, taking one sweet satisfying gulp.

Footsteps approached from behind causing her to pause in her drinking.

They were too light to be Ryuji, for as short as she’d known him his limp produced a certain rhythm of heavy and light footsteps.

This one was evenly light.

She turned around and found the blonde girl from yesterday walking up to her, the one she’d seen in Kamoshida’s castle wearing bikini wear. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” she asked suddenly. Rem merely tilted her head and resumed drinking her soda, leaning back against the vending machine.

“It’ll be quick,” the blonde, Ann, if she remembered correctly just bulldozed onwards. Rem silently nodded, allowing her to continue but otherwise didn’t say a word.

“What’s with you? That lie Kawakami gave to the class when you were late was obvious,” she asked as she crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side. “There’s that weird rumour going around about you as well…”

One of Rem’s fine eyebrows rose with curiosity. “Rumour?”

“Whaddya want with her?” a rough voice asked.

Rem and Ann both looked over as Ryuji made his approach, his limping gait familiar. Ann looked at him with exasperation, “I could say the same about you, you’re not even in our class.”

“Uh… we just… happened to get to know each other…” Ryuji said lamely with an awkward look on his face.

Ann looked at him for a moment.

“What are you planning on doing to Mr. Kamoshida?” she eventually asked, her tone serious.

“Huh?” Ryuji was taken aback before a look crossed his face, “I see… I see… You’re all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto.”

Ryuji just leaned forward, “If you found out what he’s been doin’ behind your back, you’d dump him right away.”

“Behind my back…?” Ann asked this time being the one to look in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

That was enough. She’d seen and heard enough in the last two days to understand that Ann wanted to get as far as possible away from Kamoshida, even having cited that she had appendicitis. This shit was stopping now.

Rem took a sip of her soda. “He’s been abusing the volleyball team. The _whole_ volleyball team,” she said as she pushed herself off the vending machine and tossing her now empty can in the trash.

“What the hell Rem!?” Ryuji asked as he looked at the braided-haired girl, staring at her in surprise.

Rem adjusted her fake glasses as she stared back at him, daring him to say something. “You’re listening to whatever rumours people say about her. You’re in no position to talk, especially not after what we witnessed yesterday,” she said with a no small amount of heat in her voice as she glared at him sternly.

Ryuji visibly wilted at her words, his face pulling into one of consternation. “Grr… fine… Dammit,” he looked up at Ann with an apologetic look in his eyes. “Look Takamaki, sorry ‘bout that. It’s been a shitty day is all and I shouldn’tve been taking it out on you.”

Ann, if she could have, looked even more surprised but her brain caught up as she whirled on Rem with a look on her eyes. “What do you mean Mr. Kamoshida’s been abusing the volleyball team? And you said the whole team, didn’t you?”

Rem nodded and was going to explain the best she could but they were all stopped as a student walked passed Ryuji, through the middle of the talking group, and towards the vending machine Rem was standing at.

“Kurusu-san?” Ann asked surprised as the frizzy-haired teen merely nodded to her before taking out some notes and placing them into the vending machine. Pressing a button an orange soda popped out with a clunk.

The three just stared as he popped it open and took a long sip, his own eyes staring back. “You three should talk a little quieter,” he said as he lowered his can and walked off as if nothing had happened.

“…Wha’ the hell was that?” Ryuji rubbed the top of his head in confusion as he gawked, watching the teen leave.

Rem had to agree with Kurusu-san though, looking around she could see students in the courtyard gawking at the three of them. She shook her head as she turned to her classmate. Ann looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. She gave one more look between Ryuji and Rem before taking off in a dead-sprint in the direction of the building entrance.

The two watched her leave before turning to each other. “Well, that was weird, who even as that guy?” Ryuji asked to which Rem simply replied that he was a transfer.

“A transfer huh? Wait, never mind that for now…” Ryuji scratched his chin but focused his thoughts on their current situation, “…were you able to find out anything? Like anyone’s name or somethin’?”

Rem nodded. “Someone name Mishima, the one that got hit in the face earlier today by Kamoshida at the rally. Some people say he and others get some special coaching,” she said as she recalled the blue-haired teen. Even on her first day, she noticed he’d been covered in bruises when he’d began fifth period for Kawakami.

“Special ‘coaching’, huh?” Ryuji muttered in thought. “Sounds ‘bout right. I always see the guy riddled with bruises. And Kamoshida didn’t care that he’d hurt him this morning either.”

He nodded to himself, “Let’s go talk to him before he leaves then.”

Rem followed him as he ran off in search of Mishima.

* * *

Akira groaned mentally, a migraine pulsing and throbbing within his head as the whole Lovers Arcana began to writhe uncontrollably in the depths of his mind. He’d barely been able to make it through the final period of the day after the volleyball rally before he was assaulted by his Persona wanting _something_.

Normally he’d have been able to hear what they were saying but with such a large amount saying different things it was difficult to decipher what they were trying to convey.

 **S..e h..!**

Akira shook his head, in vain trying to dispel the quite literally mind-splitting migraine. Eventually, they began to quiet down, still restless and relentless but they were no longer trying to split his mind in half.

“What the hell is going on…?” Akira muttered as he massaged his temples. He leaned back in the interior courtyard, trying to keep watch as in the corner of his eye he saw Ryuji and Rem talk again by the vending machines, and judging by the fact he could partially hear them from over thirty feet away they hadn’t given his advice from the day prior any thought.

Students all around were eyeing Rem, her reputation as the criminal transfer student meant that everyone would keep an eye out for her whenever she was nearby. Some were doing it unconsciously, little things by making sure their backs weren't turned against her and keeping both Rem and Ryuji in their line of sight.

He watched as a familiar feline form evaded the field of vision of a couple of teachers before walking over to the two. Akira’s heart clenched slightly causing him to close his eyes, his hand snaking to his pendant in comfort.

COLD

The Persona of the Magician Arcana within his mind fell silent, their roiling agitation ceasing as he placated them.

He watched as Morgana trotted up to the two, jumping onto the table and began scolding them.

“This is no time to be jokin’ around!” he could hear Ryuji literally yell.

Akira’s face disappeared into his hand, groaning. Now that he thought back on it, it was a miracle no one had cottoned on to their activities and what they'd gotten up to back in his own reality when for a large majority of the time; everyone in the Phantom Thieves was yelling.

Looking around though, Akira realised that most of the students pointedly looked away from the trio as they began to move, their eyes carefully averted from the ‘criminal transfer student’. Maybe being a bad student had its own perks at times. Eventually, the three made their exit, presumably to head up to the roof and discuss about infiltrating Kamoshida’s castle tomorrow.

A feeling deep in his bones caused a sweat to break on his brow before he wiped it away. Something was going to happen. He could feel it in his bones. And he couldn’t remember a damn thing about what it could be.

“What is it?” Akira muttered as he got up and made his way to leave and go home. So far, he’d done a good job of keeping Goro unaware that he was going to school, and he wanted to keep it that way for now.

* * *

“So, I assume all of you know about the separation of powers? There are three branches in our government,” Ushimaru talked behind his podium, Akira’s focus waning as the Persona of the Lovers Arcana’s were like a hurricane in his mind, tempestuous and fierce.

Akira winced in agony as he clasped at his temples in his seat. His own mind was being torn apart, different facets of himself trying to move in different directions.

“The National Diet is legislative, the Cabinet is executive, and the Supreme Court is the judiciary,” Ushimaru continued speaking. “This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no one branch becomes unstoppable.”

Akira barely noticed Morgana popping out of Rem’s desk before each and every Persona of the Lover’s Arcana rose up in unison and _roared_.

**Save her!**

Akira’s table went flying against the wall as he shot out of the classroom.

How did he forget?

How in the hell did he forget about Shiho!?

“Sukukaja!” he hissed under his breath in the empty hallways, Ishtar empowering him with speed beyond all reason as he just about blurred through the school hallways, rushing up the stairwell. The moment he reached the rooftop door, he'd forgone using his hand and opted to use kick violently against the door handle.

***BANG!***

The door flew open, slamming against the wall.

Just beyond the fence, Akira could see Shiho standing there, just beyond the mesh-wire fence. She looked at him in surprise, turning her head to see him.

Her foot hit the air as she turned, standing on the edge of the ledge the moment she tried to turn and look behind her she’d forgotten there was nowhere to move in order to see over her shoulder.

She fell.

Shocked brown eyes looked at his grey.

Even with Sukukaja, Akira had barely made it in time jumping over the wire fence to snag her hand in his own. On this precarious ledge, he had to hold onto the fence with one hand and Shiho with the other.

Shiho looked up at him, eyes wide that someone had come. “Wh-What are you doing?”

Akira grunted, the metal beneath his fingers bending and biting into his flesh as he endeavoured to hold the two of them up. With Shiho dangling from his grasp he could feel the wire fence pull forward under their combined weight.

“L-Let me go! You’ll get hurt too!” Shiho pleaded.

“I can’t do that...” Akira whispered hoarsely, the Persona in his mind whirling with activity. He didn’t get much of a choice, however, as the mesh wire’s structural integrity failed to hold the weight of the two of them any longer. It bent beneath his grip, the thin metal warping as it pulled free from the rest of the fence.

The two fell.

In the heart-stopping moment where time flew to a standstill, Akira clutched Shiho in a tight hug against his chest, angling his back towards the ground with Shiho's head cradled in the crook between his neck and shoulder.

“Marakukaja…”

The two hit the ground with a thudding impact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup… that happened.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here we are with Chapter 9 folks.
> 
> I managed to complete my assignment, so with my spare time rather than go over and edit it for today, I decided to procrastinate and write another chapter, because SMART.

“So, I assume all of you know about the separation of powers? There are three branches in our government,” Ushimaru said in front of the blackboard, scribbling notes in white chalk. Rem looked at Ushimaru, a bored expression on her face as he continued to drone on about the separation of powers between the government branches of Japan.

“The National Diet is legislative, the Cabinet is executive, and the Supreme Court is the judiciary,” Ushimaru continued speaking, explaining the separation of powers. “This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no one branch becomes unstoppable.”

“Have you made up your mind?” a familiar high-pitched voice asked causing Rem to recoil slightly as she found Morgana hiding _in_ her desk next to her textbooks. “No matter how much thinking you do, there’s only one option. You’d be better off just listening to me.”

Rem stared at Morgana before lifting her hand and flicking him on the nose with a dainty finger-flick.

“Ow!”

“Don’t talk,” she hushed, she ignored his cry of pain that had been elicited from his flick.

“Hm?” Ushimaru cocked his head looking around with a suspicious look in his eyes, “Did I just hear a cat just now?”

Morgana meowed in discomfort as Rem shoved him back into the underside of her desk against her textbooks in an effort to hide him Ushimaru shrugged and continued on with the Social Studies lesson.

Rem felt as her phone buzzed in her pocket, the message bank showing that it was Ryuji texting her during the middle of class.

 **Rem:** I’m in the middle of class. Could you please do this another time?

 **Ryuji:** Who cares about that? More importantly, what’s the plan with Kamoshida?

 **Ryuji:** We just go along with what the cat says?

 **Ryuji:** The damn furball…

“If only he knew I was reading this too…” Morgana muttered, his blue eyes scanning the phone screen before Rem tucked it away in her blazer pocket with a shake of her head.

**Smash!**

**Bang!**

“M-MROW?!”

Rem jumped at the loud noise that erupted behind her suddenly, Morgana yowling in surprise as well.

No one had noticed Morgana, too busy looking at Kurusu’s now shattered desk, half of which was embedded into the wall or looking at the now open classroom door which from the force it had been shunted open had left cracks on the hallway windows adjacent to it.

“Was that Kurusu-san?”

“He just sprinted out of the classroom crazy fast!”

“Anyone see where he went?”

“What…” Ushimaru growled as he took in the sight of Kurusu’s wall-embedded desk and the almost broken glass windows of the hallway interior, “…is the meaning of this! All of you back in your seats! Who last saw where Kurusu-san went?!”

His words went unheeded, however, as a student in the front corner stood up violently. “Hey… What’s that…!?” he shouted, pointing outside the hallway window and outside the window opposite the hallway.

Rem watched as several more student stood up, craning their necks to look.

“Enough! This is a classroom!” Ushimaru yelled but continued to go on ignored.

“Wait… She’s going to jump!”

Rem shot up from her seat the moment she’d heard those words. Several more students stood up in shock as well.

“Suzui…?” she heard Mishima mutter, her memory abruptly flashing to the black-haired girl that had told her to ignore the rumours about her. Ann’s friend who the blonde had been worried for the previous day at the subway. She was so nice and now… she was going to jump? Commit suicide?

“Shiho…?” In front of her, Ann shot up as well.

The students began to mutter as Ushimaru tried to get the classroom under control.

“For real?!”

“Huh? No way! Is she going to commit suicide?”

“It’s Suzui! Shiho Suzui!”

Ann ran out of the classroom, Rem hot on her heels as she tore herself from her desk to look outside of the hallway windows. Looking out the window Rem could see Shiho standing at the exterior of the safety wire fence on the rooftop, her body tense.

Abruptly she looked behind her, almost in shock but her foot stepped forward and all too suddenly she was falling.

Ann gasped in horror.

Students gaped and gasped as they watched Shiho fall.

Rem saw someone jump over the safety wire fence and manage to grasp Shiho’s hand at the last second. The person grabbed Shiho, the black-haired volleyball member dangling from his grasp, the only thing stopping her from falling down to the courtyard below.

Holding the metal wire fence to support his balance and at the same time hold Shiho was Akira Kurusu, the transfer student who’d just moments ago burst out of the classroom like a bat out of hell. Rem could see Akira’s mouth move while he shook his head, trying to bring her back to safety.

The wire fence bulged outwards beneath his hands, their combined weight causing the wire to warp and break beneath his grasp. Rem’s breath caught in her throat as she watched as a patch of the wire fence tore free from beneath his grasp, the metal no longer able to sustain their weight and for a single moment, they were both free-falling.

Horrified screams rocked the hallways of Shujin Academy.

She watched as Akira grabbed Shiho mid-air, holding her close to him before angling the two of them so it would be him who hit the ground first.

The two hit the ground with a sickening thud.

“They fell!”

“Kurusu-san and Suzui-san! They both fell!”

“Are they okay?!”

“No… why? Shiho!” Ann looked at the two horrified before she ran down the stairs, barging past Rem with a shove.

Ryuji ran up to her, a shocked look on his face proving that he’d seen what’d just happened but was already getting ready to get a closer look at the situation. “We need to get goin’ to the courtyard! C’mon!” he yelled over all of the commotions and made his way down the stairs, the two eventually through lots of pushing and shoving made their way into the courtyard through the practice building.

When the two arrived, they found the two on the ground, Shiho still in Akira’s arms, a small divot of dirt surrounding the two from the force of their impact.

“Shiho!” Ann yelled as she rushed over to the two.

By some miracle, with a pained groan, Akira released his grasp on the girl allowing Ann to cradle her. Rem and Ryuji rushed to Akira’s side as he tried to stagger his way to his feet but the injuries he’d sustained were evidently too much as he collapsed to his knees with weak ragged breaths.

Rem heard small cracks emanating from his knees, surprised her classmate hadn’t even cried out in pain from his evidently broken kneecaps.

“Akira-senpai!” a voice cut through the crowd, a familiar head of red-hair passing everyone as the girl that had thanked Rem at the station rushed to Akira’s side.

Akira gave the girl a weak brittle smile as she gently held him up-right against her chest, careful not to move him too much, his left side evidently injured by how he was cradling his ribs.

Student crowded around them, pulling out their phones and taking pictures of the two injured students. Someone must have called the ambulance because four men pushed through the crowd roughly, two stretchers between them. They placed the stretcher between the two injured students.

One of the paramedics noticed Akira, a look of shock and alarm overcoming his face for a moment as he stared. “Lay him down!” he shook his head before ordering loudly, his voice cutting through the chatter of the students. Both Akira and the red-haired girl looked at him surprised as he moved towards Akira, gently pushing him down by his shoulders and pulling up his shirt in front of everyone. Rem almost gagged as she saw his torso.

It wasn’t the fact that his six-pack was on display. If anything, it was quite a nice sight. No, what made her gag was the horrendous looking injury on his torso, slightly visible was the fact he was missing a few ribs on his right side while his left side was covered in splotches of dark purple or outright bleeding skin from the impact he'd taken. Akira looked up at the paramedic a moment longer before recognition bloomed in his eyes.

“Hisegawa-san?” he asked in slight delirium, the paramedic gave a sigh of relief before pulling his shirt back down.

“You and saving women. I swear kid if this keeps up you’ll be dead. If you’d landed on your left side you’d be drowning in your own blood,” the paramedic joked morbidly, but the jest didn’t reach his eyes as he got his colleague to help him place Akira on the stretcher.

Looking over at Shiho, Rem found her already on the stretcher and getting ready to be loaded up into the ambulance.

“What the hell’s wrong with these people?!” Ryuji growled as he noticed other student continuing to take pictures and videos.

The paramedic that had been with Akira stood up and looked around. “We need someone to go with them… are there any teachers around?”

“I-I’m not in charge of thier class though…” a teacher stammered as eyes locked onto him, him being the nearest available teacher.

“W-We should leave this to principal Kobayakawa…” another teacher said hesitantly behind the first.

“S-Some teachers you are…” Akira coughed as he growled out before looking up at the paramedic, “Br-bring Sumire, I-I trust her more th-than the t-teachers...”

The red-haired girl gave Akira a hesitant look before looking at the paramedic and nodding.

“I’ll go! I’ll go with Shiho!” Ann yelled as she noticed that no other teacher would be willing and that another student would be going with them.

“Okay, we need to hurry and get them checked,” the paramedic nodded.

Ann leaned down closer to Shiho. She was injured but if Akira hadn’t been there Ann knew she would’ve been in an even worse condition. “Shiho… why?” Ann asked pleadingly, taking the black-haired girl’s hand in her own.

“Ann…?” Shiho looked at Ann with unfocused eyes, almost as if she was looking with her hearing, trying to figure out where Ann was based on her voice rather than using her eyesight. “I’m sorry. I… I can’t take this… anymore…” she whispered hoarsely.

“Shiho?” Ann asked hesitantly as she placed her ear next to Shiho’s lips, to be able to hear her words, no matter how weak they were. Rem could hear even over the din of students the horrified gasp that tore its way from Ann’s throat, and more importantly, the words that followed.

“…Kamoshida?!” she whispered shocked as she looked down at Shiho. It seemed it had been too much for the girl as she quickly passed out.

Ann and Shiho were quickly piled into the back of one van while Akira and red-haired honour student were piled into the other, the four paramedics splitting between the two. The two ambulances quickly drove out from Shujin Academy’s courtyard exit, leaving a gaggle of horrified students and useless teachers standing at the scene of an attempted suicide.

“Kamoshida…?” Ryuji whispered proving it hadn’t only been Rem that had heard Ann’s shocked whispered.

“Return to your classrooms at once!”

“Ah… hah…” Both Ryuji and Rem noticed Mishima let out scared pants before he scrambled away from the courtyard in the direction of the practice building.

“He knows what happened,” Rem stated before she ran after Mishima, Ryuji hot on her tail. Students parted for her making it easy to catch up to Mishima. Eventually, he ran out of luck as he ran to the end of one of the hallways, no rooms to enter.

Even though they were the same height Rem placed her forearm against Mishima’s throat and pinned him to a nearby set of lockers.

“Ah, that hurts!” Mishima cried out in pain.

“Then talk dammit!” Ryuji growled. “Why’d you run like that? Huh!?”

Mishima looked away.

“I didn’t run…”

Rem was quickly growing sick of this. She grabbed him by his sweater and slammed him against the lockers. “Shiho tried to kill herself, and Kurusu-san got injured saving her! Lie one more time…” she dared, looking him in the eye, forcing him to look back.

“L-Leave me alone…” Mishima whimpered.

“Just tell us, man,” Ryuji said as he placed a hand on Rem’s shoulder pulling her away, the way her fists clenched and unclenched indicating she wasn't emotionally sound at the moment. Mishima dropped to the ground with Rem no longer holding him up against the lockers.

Mishima looked up at the two of them in despair but, eventually, he relented and his head sagged. “I’ll tell you everything…” he whispered hoarsely.

Ryuji leaned forward while Rem stepped back, reigning in her already fragile temper.

“She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!” Mishima shouted as he sank to his knees, pulling at his hair in either frustration or fear.

“Wait, what?!” Ryuji recoiled.

“I‘ve been called by him a number of times too… to the PE Faculty room,” Mishima admitted looking at them. “He’d nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them.”

“He physically assaults his students… it's all true...” Rem’s lip curled in disgust.

Mishima nodded downcast, “But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn’t make any mistakes or anything… he was really irritated, so it must’ve been…”

Mishima bit back a gulp, “…worse than usual…”

Ryuji’s eyes narrowed, “He didn’t… that son of a bitch!”

Rem’s temper was close to its limit. The two looked at each other and nodded.

It was time to pay the real Kamoshida a visit.

* * *

**Ting-a-ling**

A silver brow rose as wine red eyes bore into the red eyes of Goro Akechi. “Do you need to take it?” Sae asked as the eighteen-year-old withdrew his phone from his uniform pocket, his eyes narrowing as he took in the phone number.

“…Yes, please give me a moment Nijiima-san,” Akechi asked after a moment’s pause. Sae waved him off allowing him to move off to the corner of the SIU’s reception area.

“Hello, this is Goro Akechi speaking,” Akechi said. Sae watched as he listened to whoever was one the other side of the connection, his brow rising in surprise.

“Doctor Hisegawa?”

One of Sae’s brows rose slightly, surprised that she actually recognised the name. If she remembered correctly, Hisegawa was the last name of one Haruto Hisegawa, one of Shibuya Private Hospital’s best surgeons and general practitioner. This, of course, begged the question; what did a doctor such as Hisegawa have in common with Goro Akechi?

She continued watching out of the corner of her eye, her attention partially focused on her laptop as she saw Akechi’s face draw into one of consternation and frustration, a gloved hand pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and took a breath.

“Shujin Academy, you said?”

Sae’s head snapped up, all pretence of eavesdropping fell to the wayside as she realised whatever Akechi and Doctor Hisegawa involved Shujin Academy, the same academy her own sister went to. She closed her laptop, her vision laser-focused on Akechi.

If Akechi was bothered, he didn’t say anything, rather he continued his conversation. “I’ll be there as soon as possible, forward the bill to our address,” Akechi nodded. “I can be there within the hour. Is anyone with him at the moment?”

Sae watched as his face drew from consternation into one of surprise.

“Yoshizawa-san?... And two others. Thank you for letting me know Hisegawa-san.”

He shut his phone with the tap of the smartscreen and returned to her seat. “My apologies Niijima-san but I’m afraid I’m required elsewhere at the moment,” he said with a carefully genial but fragile smile.

Sae looked at him. “Shujin Academy?” she asked, a tone of apprehension hidden within her words which was soon appeased by the shake of Akechi’s head.

“Shibuya Private Hospital. There was an incident at Shujin Academy at 9:43 this morning, with two students being injured. Attempted suicide and suicide prevention,” Akechi said promptly.

Sae’s brows shot into her hairline as she stood up abruptly. “Suicide?!” she almost yelled but remembered that she was in the reception area of her work, instead choosing to hiss it out.

“Indeed,” Akechi nodded as he packed up his own files and laptop before sliding them into his briefcase with ease.

Sae looked at him curiously, “So why are you going to the hospital rather than Shujin?”

Akechi gave her a look. “Because someone I care about was one of the two injured. As it would turn out, he was the one to prevent the suicide. Or at least he attempted to, instead, he’s now suffering from even more injuries.”

She quirked her head at the way he said ‘even more’ but instead let it slide, a different question forming in her head. “I wasn’t aware that you knew anyone that went to Shujin?” she called out just as he picked up his briefcase and began making his way out of the building.

Akechi paused in his step.

“I wasn’t aware either.”

He left.

Sae sat down for a moment.

Pullin gout her phone and scrolling through her contact list, she tapped on a certain one bringing the smartphone to her ear.

“Makoto? I heard there was an attempted suicide at Shujin today.”

* * *

Akira found himself once more in the white sterile rooms of Shibuya Private Hospital, with Sumire at his side again. He was even wearing a hospital gown again. The only difference was the Shiho and Ann had taken up the spot that Kasumi and Shinichi would normally have taken.

Hell, he was even in room 5-A of the Intensive Care Unit just like he’d been a month ago. That did bring up a question of his own though as he looked around, noting the lack of a second head of red-hair.

“H-Hey, Sumire… did Kasumi get moved to a different room?” he asked the red-haired girl, breaking from her pensive reverie.

“U-Um yes,” Sumire nodded, looking at him startled by the sudden question. “She was moved to the long-term wing since she still needs to go through therapy to recover. The ligaments in her knees have healed properly and she’s quickly gaining motor functions… Doctor Hisegawa said that she’ll be released in three months if she continues to progress like this…”

The door to the room opened, three heads looking over as the stethoscope and white coat-wearing form of Doctor Hisegawa entered, two clipboards in his hands. “Actually, with the way Yoshizawa-san is progressing, she should be able to re-join the gymnastics scene by the end of summer break, so about two and a half months, perhaps two months if I'm being generous,” Hisegawa said, having caught the tail end of their discussion. He entered and closed the door behind him.

“However, that’s not here or there. What I’m here to discuss is about Suzui-san and Kurusu-kun,” Hisegawa looked at the three, Ann shooting up with worry in her puffy blue eyes

“Is Shiho going to be alright?!”

Hisegawa held up a hand placatingly as he moved between the two beds. Taking out one of the clipboards and placing the other to the side, he flipped through the papers. “Before I explain, as part of doctor-patient confidentiality I need to understand the relationship between you and Suzui-san.”

“I’m her best friend,” Ann answered quickly, her hands balling against her black-and-white varsity jacket.

Hisegawa nodded. “That’ll do. We’ve of course contacted her parents but since they can’t be here at the moment, I’ll brief you on Suzi-san’s injuries and then her parents once they arrive.”

He turned to Akira.

“Are you okay with Yoshizawa-san being briefed on your injuries? Akechi-san has been notified and is on his way.”

Akira noticeably winced, earning him a concerned look from both Doctor Hisegawa and Sumire.

“Ah… Yes, I’m fine with Sumire being briefed so long as it’s okay with her?” he asked looking over at Sumire. She tittered uncertainly for a moment before she looked at him in the eyes a firm resolve blooming within her red orbs.

“…Very well,” Hisegawa sighed. “We’ll begin with Suzui-san.”

He moved over to the lightbox, and with a flick of a switch, it hummed to life a bright light flickering life beneath its surface. Hisegawa took out two x-ray scans from the clipboard, one of Suzui’s upper and lower body.

“As procedure in a case like this, we took a quick x-ray scan,” Hisegawa explained to Ann as she looked at the x-ray scans.

“What we’ve found _cannot_ be shared outside of this room. To protect the confidentiality of Suzui-san, only she has the right to share it. This involves everyone in this room. Is that understood?” he asked, looking at Ann, Akira, and Sumire. Everyone took some time to digest his words, eventually nodding in acceptance.

He sighed and pointed to the one showing her upper body, “For as much as this was an attempted suicide incident, the injuries she sustained from the attempt aren’t grievously harmful. Aside from severe bruising, some muscle sprain in her neck due to whiplash and a mild concussion, she’s otherwise fine.”

A severe look covered his face as he pointed to the lower-body x-ray. “This… dear fucking god, I hate to say this, but this _cannot_ leave this room. As much as I want to tell the authorities, only Suzui-san can be the one to tell them otherwise it would be a severe breach in legal and medical practice,” Hisegawa seemed to sag as he looked specifically at Ann.

A look of worry formed on Ann’s face at his words but she eventually nodded.

He pointed to the area above the thighs but below the spine, taking out his flashlight he shined it so that a specific area was highlighted.

The pelvic area.

It was covered with some discolouration and slight hairline fractures.

Ann and Sumire both gasped horrified.

Hisegawa grimaced.

Akira could feel Ishtar shake in bubbling fury.

“As you can see, the discolouration of this area is indicative of severe bruising. There are also several fractures to her pelvic bone,” Hisegawa grimaced once more in disgust as he tried to digest the facts. “From how large the fractures are, they seem to have been there and expanded over a period of time. Judging by the width between the fractures, most likely sometime within the last twenty-four hours,” he looked over at Akira pleadingly.

“When you landed… was it you or Suzui-san that impacted the ground first?”

Akira closed his eyes as he leaned back into the bed. “I did…” Akira whispered quietly but it was like a gunshot in the silent hospital room.

Hisegawa let out a quiet sigh of despair.

“Judging from these injuries and the fact she was trying to commit attempted suicide, Suzui-san was most likely… sexually assaulted within the last twenty-four hours. No further examinations will be made for Suzui-san until she regains consciousness from this ordeal,” he said professionally, but everyone awake in the room could tell that he was having difficulties of his own with processing the situation.

He looked up at Ann. “As much as I want to do the right thing and notify the authorities, even without the fact that I’m unable to due to doctor-patient confidentiality, I cannot in good conscience do so when Suzui-san has already been through so much. If she tried to commit suicide due to this, there’s no telling what she may try to do if the truth were to run wild and she was to be questioned by the police,” he implored seriously to the blonde girl.

It took a while, with many conflicting emotions warring in Ann’s eyes before she nodded. “I understand…” she said quietly before she sat down, her hands grasping one of Suzui’s.

Hisegawa rubbed his forehead to stave off the growing headache before he turned to the lightbox and removed the x-rays and placed them back on the clipboard. Withdrawing the other one, he removed two x-ray scan and placed it on the lightbox.

Akira winced as he saw the discolouration on the left side of his torso, along with the hairline fractures spreading from most of his ribs and even spreading to his spine. On the other x-ray scan, it showed that his kneecaps contained fracture lines.

“You, Kurusu-kun, as much as I wish to commend you for your actions, have only served to exacerbate your previously healing injuries and add some new ones on top,” Hisegawa turned his attention to both Akira and Sumire.

“Thankfully, somehow, the degree to which they’ve added is only minor. Well, for your upper body,” Hisegawa shone his flashlight on the ribs and spine portion of the x-ray. Some of the ribs on your left side have re-cracked from where they had healed while only your fourth, eighth and ninth ribs have suffered hairline fractures. There’s also the addition of severe bruising on the length of your spine, so you’ll need to be careful lest some of your discs compress.”

"On the other hand, your knees took a tremendous amount of the impact, both kneecaps having fractured," he turned off his pocket flashlight with a click as he looked at Akira.

“If it was up to me, I wouldn’t let you leave that bed for the next year,” Hisegawa’s expression was slightly lighter than it had been before, but there was a slight look of aggravation as he looked down at Akira’s prone bed-ridden form.

“I understand that helping people is a good thing, but not at the expense at your own health,” Hisegawa lectured. “Yoshizawa-san and Suzui-san were both saved because of you, yes, but at the rate your injuries are accumulating, it’s likely you’ll become permanently injured in the future should you continue to do such things.”

Akira looked at Hisegawa with a lopsided slight delirious smirk. “T-To be fair, Kasumi and Sumire was a complete accident. Suzui-san... I c-couldn’t just see her standing on the rooftop ready to jump and not do anything,” Akira argued with shuddering breathes.

Hisegawa pinched his nose and took in a deep intake of air.

“Kid… you’re lucky that for all that you’ve been injured, you honestly won’t need to stay in the hospital for more than a day or two,” Hisegawa sighed for the umpteenth time in the last hour as he let go of his nose and looked at the Akira. “I’ll be prescribing some painkillers and supply some compression bandages so your ribs won’t move around, but you’ll be able to leave come either tomorrow or the day after. Your legs will be strained but if you don't do anything physically demanding, your kneecaps should heal completely over a period of time, likely a month at most.”

“Just… don’t do anything too physically demanding for the next month or two and you’ll be right as rain,” Hisegawa rubbed the back of his head, taking the x-ray scan down, and depositing both clipboards onto a holder on the wall.

“Suzui-san’s injuries should heal within the month, and the concussion will subside in the next few days. As her friend, however, would I be able to ask you to keep an eye on her?” He looked over at Ann. “Following… _that_ … it wouldn’t be out of thought for Suzui-san to be heavily traumatized. Don’t push her to tell you anything but if she wishes to confide in you, would you lend an open ear?” he asked.

“Of course!” Ann said swiftly, wiping at her puffy eyes.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Hisegawa smiled. “I’ll need to file away an injury report for Suzui-san and Kurusu-kun, so for the meantime until either Suzui-san’s parents or Akechi-kun arrives, I’ll need both of you to stay here.”

He looked at both Ann and Sumire, the former nodding and the latter nodding as well after being broken out of her contemplative silence. Hisegawa gave one more smile before leaving.

The room fell quiet in an oppressive silence, a sombre air hanging through the room like a weighted blanket.

Akira exhaled as he leaned into the firm hospital bed, feeling his ribs rattling in his chest as he did so. He felt Ishtar relax within the depths of his mind now that Shiho was safe, but knowing that her injuries could have been worse had his Persona not unified and forced him into action left a seething wroth to float within the Lovers Arcana.

Eventually, Ishtar withdrew back into the recesses of his mind but not before casting a simple Dia to stop his ribs from rattling with every intake and exhale of air he took and another to mend his kneecaps.

“Akira-senpai…?” he looked up to find Sumire looking down at him from his side. “Does… Does Suzui-san’s injury mean that…. Mr. Kamoshida…” she said before trailing off uncomfortably. Akira couldn’t blame her. To find out that a teacher had raped a student which had almost led to her committing suicide wasn’t an easy thing to hear.

He hadn’t realised that Ann had known the extent and reason behind Shiho’s injuries. But then again, given how he didn’t recall ever seeing Hisegawa in his previous reality, Ann might not have been told that Shiho was raped.

Akira didn’t believe she had in his previous reality, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so lenient on letting Kamoshida’s shadow live. He wasn’t sure if she would this time around.

He shook his mind free of those thoughts for the moment and looked at Sumire seemed to be uncomfortable at the thought that a teacher had done something so horrific to a student. He extended a hand and grasped Sumire’s comfortingly.

“If Kamoshida ever approaches you, I want you to get as far away as possible or stay in sight among the students. If he ever calls you out, call your father, me or Goro immediately, okay? Never stay alone in the same room as him,” he said looking Sumire in the eyes. A large amount of tension leaked out of her body as she looked at him.

"When I'm back at school and he's trying to talk to you alone, come and find me."

“O-Okay…” she squeezed his hand. Her eyes widened as she realised what she’d done before quickly letting as if her hand had been burned, her face a scarlet red.

“Um… Kurusu-san?”

Akira and Sumire both looked up, Ann having moved to Akira’s bed sometime during the conversation.

“I-I wanted to say thank you… for saving Shiho…” Ann looked at him sincerely before bowing at the waist. Akira was briefly reminded of Shinichi doing the same thing a month ago.

“I couldn’t just watch as she tried to kill herself…” Akira responded shaking his head as Ann looked at him, “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I did nothing.”

He wasn’t going to try and downplay what he’d done. Doing so would be disrespectful to both Shiho and Ann.

Ann gave him a watery broken smile.

COLD

Akira’s breath hitched.

“Still… I don’t know what I would’ve done if Shiho had…” Ann’s hands balled into fists. “Kamoshida’s going to pay…” she whispered hoarsely, her eyes clenched shut.

Akira and Sumire said nothing.

**Knock Knock**

Their head swivelled to the door. The doorknob opened slowly as a figure in a brown coat admitted himself into the intensive care room. Goro Akechi slowly closed the door behind him with a quiet click.

He looked at the four in the room, before his eyes settled on Akira.

“Hello.”

* * *

After giving his introductions, Goro watched as Sumire Yoshizawa scurried out of the room with her duty of looking over Akira finished, not before of course Goro thanked her.

Goro looked over at the blonde-girl wearing the Shujin uniform. “Excuse me, miss, but would you mind giving me and Akira some privacy for the time being? I have some things I wish to discuss with him at the moment,” he asked politely. Out of the corner of his eyesight, he noticed a carefully folded male Shujin uniform.

The blonde looked like she was going to say something. Then she looked at his chest. Goro followed her line of sight and realised in his haste to leave the SIU building he’d forgotten to remove his badge stating he was part of the police precinct.

He slowly plucked it from his lapel and stowed it away in his coat pocket, deliberately looking the blonde in the eye as he did so.

“Takamaki-san… Goro most likely wishes to discuss my injuries and my… choice of school,” Akira looked up from his bed, placatingly explaining why she should leave the room.

The blonde, Takamaki, still looked hesitant. “I’ll be waiting just outside the door,” she eventually relented, giving Goro one last look before she vacated the room.

With that out of the way…

“So… when exactly were you going to tell me that you were attending school?” Goro asked as he settled into the seat by Akira’s side, setting his briefcase upright on the floor.

Akira shrugged. “When you came back from the precinct and found me lazing about in my uniform,” he said but they both knew that wouldn’t be a sufficient enough answer.

Akira sighed. “Let’s stop this dance alright? I used some of my contacts to get me into a school to kill some time while my ribs healed. The principal there is well-known for rolling over for money. Is that enough?” Akira looked at him as lazily as he could.

Goro watched as his eyes flicked over to the wall between his bed and the other patient in the room, a pair of clipboards sitting innocently. He breathed in deeply, and closed his eyes before counting to three.

One.

Two.

Three.

Goro stood up and walked over between their beds and picked up the clipboards from the wall and began reading the injuries between the two.

The girl, a Shiho Suzui, was suffering from a mild concussion, muscle strain due to whiplash, and severe bruising from an unmentioned incident, most likely the attempted suicide that Hisegawa mentioned.

Goro rose a brow in disgust as he continued reading; Hisegawa added notes that there was also severe bruising around her thighs and buttocks while her hips and the pelvic area suffered from hairline fractures.

‘ _Sexual assault leading into attempted suicide then,’_ Goro mentally analysed Suzui’s diagnosis. 

Estimated recovery time: Two months.

Estimated hospital time: One month.

Goro switched over to Akira’s.

Hairline fractures on the right-side of his ribs along with severe bruising and minor lacerations across the length of his back. The spine at risk of disc compression as the body healed. Minor opening of rib fractures for the left-side ribs. The fracturing of kneecaps.

Estimated recovery time: Normally one month, however, Kurusu-san has suffered similar injured previously.

Amended recovery time: Two months.

Estimated hospital time: One-to-two days. Compression wrap around ribs and no extenuating physical exercise. 

Goro placed the clipboards the exact way he’d found them.

“So….” Akira started as Goro sat back down. “You have anything you want to say or yell at me?” he asked curiously.

Goro grunted despite the seriousness of the situation. “I’d ask Hisegawa-san to keep you bedridden till you’re fully healed but we both know you’re too stubborn for that, just… please stopping saving women. You’re going to get yourself killed,” Goro pleaded as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose.

“It’s not like I go around looking for women to save. They just happen to be extremely lucky,” Akira snorted causing Goro to raise a brow.

“Or you’re just really unlucky,” Goro retorted without any heat, his mind going overdrive. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern leaking into his voice as he allowed the façade of the Detective Prince to drop.

Akira grinned, “Never been worse.”

The two of them let out a bark of laughter.

“In all seriousness though, I’ve officially found out I’d rather jump off a three-story building rather than getting hit by a truck,” Akira shook his head with a small deprecating grin tinged with the slightest amount of humour.

“I’d rather you’d not have been injured at all,” Goro countered blandly.

“Aww, you do care!” Akira cooed despite the fact his ribs suggested he shouldn’t have been able to. Then again, Goro knew his housemate was capable of, for some ungodly reason, withstanding a tremendous amount of pain.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” Goro shot back. The two sat in silence as the noon light shone through the room.

“Are you going to be looking into the suicide?” Akira eventually asked, his eyes settled on Suzui.

Goro didn’t know. As a police detective, he couldn’t legally do so until an official inquiry by Suzui was opened. Goro’s mind whirled back to Akira mentioning the principal. If he remembered correctly, the Principal of Shujin was by some reason beyond him in Shido’s pockets.

“What’s the name of the Principal’s name? The Principal of Shujin?” Goro asked, making it seem as if it was an innocently curious inquiry.

He couldn’t do any official investigating, but he could do something else.

Akira gave him a long searching look.

“…Principal Kobayakawa.”

“That will be enough,” Goro nodded in thanks. After ensuring that Akira would be fine for the evening he vacated the room.

“Thank you for giving me some time alone with Akira. I’ve discussed everything necessary with him,” he said to Takamaki and left before she could say a word.

* * *

The moment Goro arrived at home, following his return to the precinct and finishing his duties for the day, he set his briefcase down and pulled out his phone and looked at the time.

5:49

Good.

He had eleven minutes.

He opened his phone, scrolled to his contacts and called the one person he hated the most in the entirety of Japan.

“What do you want?” a voice asked roughly from the other side of the connection, Masayoshi Shido.

Goro took a deep breathe as Loki roiled beneath his skin. “Principal Kobayakawa of Shujin Academy. How important is he?”

“…Why do you care?”

Loki hissed and spat curses in the depth of his mind. “It’s merely a personal matter,” Goro said succinctly, struggling to control Loki for every second longer he talked to his bastard father.

Silence held the line for a minute.

“He’s no one of importance in the grand scheme of things, but I can still find a use for him… as long as you don’t kill him I don’t care what happens to him.”

The line disconnected.

Loki still roiled beneath his skin, but this time in joy. Robin Hood joined. Justice was going to be upheld.

Goro moved over to his desk and opened one of the drawers. Feeling around the bottom of the drawer he felt it drop slightly. With a careful gentleness, he pulled out the false bottom and withdrew a silenced pistol from its custom-made compartment. It was almost funny how that no matter how opposite his Persona were, they always agreed on any matter when it came to Akira.

“I think one of these days I’ll have to give Kobayakawa a little visit.”

Akechi allowed his façade as Shido’s executioner to fall in place for a moment.

Loki and Robin Hood crowed.

With almost reverent care, he slid the pistol into his briefcase and snapped it shut with a click of its lock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes.
> 
> Also, keep me updated on any mistakes I make and I'll go back and fix them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's favourite pancake-boi goes a bit feral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we are with chapter 7 folks, my priorities are still skewed and I need to edit my assignment that’s due in two days! yay!
> 
> Edit: Edited the previous chapter for the minor errors.

Rem watched as Ryuji visibly held himself back from destroying school property, his frustration palpable. It took Rem reminding herself that she was currently on probation to stop her from similarly doing anything rash. However, even with that piece of rationality keeping her from doing anything, it didn’t stop the cold fury from bubbling beneath her breasts.

“We can’t waste any time…” Ryuji muttered as he gave in and smashed his fist against the front of a vending machine, his frustration finally reaching its breaking point as the plexiglass rattled.

“Morgana, are you certain that we’d be able to change his heart?” Rem asked, exhaling through her nose as she emptied her headspace. The last few hours had been mentally taxing.

Between the fact that two students had been injured, one attempting suicide, and Kamoshida not caring for the fact he’d _sexually assaulted a student leading to a suicide attempt;_ Rem could feel a weight of stress fall upon her shoulders. Add in the fact that after Ryuji had threatened him, Kamoshida had opted to expel the two of them and Mishima come the next faculty meeting, she was becoming much more amenable to the idea of going back into his castle and changing his distorted heart.

“Stealing his distorted desires will leave an empty void, meaning he’ll be closer to a normal human being. The guilt of his crimes would quickly cause a change of heart,” the black cat nodded before looking at both Ryuji and Rem seriously. “Doing this means that you’ve accepted the risk of causing a mental shutdown… are you certain this is the path you choose?” he asked, looking them deeply in the eyes.

Ryuji seemed to falter but soon looked at Morgana in determination. “Kamoshida caused Suzui-san to almost kill herself and if that guy from Rem’s class hadn’ been there…” Ryuji bit himself back, taking a visible inhale as a shuddering grimace ran through his body, “…we need to do this.”

Morgana nodded and turned to Rem.

“And you?”

Rem nodded in assent, leaning back against a nearby pillar “We can’t sit back and let him get away with this. I’m in agreement.”

Morgana smiled. “Then it’s settled, we’ll go into his palace and steal his distorted desires!”

“By the way, is getting’ rid of a palace hard?” Ryuji asked putting his hands into his pockets. “You’ve done this before, yeah?”

Morgana looked at him quizzically as much as a cat could with its limited facial muscles.

“When did I ever say that?”

“Eh…?” Ryuji let out a noise of surprise. “WHAT!? Were you just pretendin’ to know?!”

Rem’s hand flashed out slapping Ryuji across the back of his skull causing his hand to cradle the offending area. “Would it kill you to be a little quieter?” Rem hissed lowly making an obvious motion of looking around. “We aren’t exactly in a private place at the moment.”

“Is it true that you’re getting expelled?”

The voice caught the trio by surprise. Rem and Ryuji whirled around to find Ann standing a few feet away, her blue eyes puffy and red. “Everyone’s talking about it…”

“That asshole’s at it again!” Rem heard Ryuji growled lowly but let it slide, instead, she moved slightly closer to Ann.

“How’s Shiho and Kurusu-san?” Rem broached cautiously, that caution growing as she noticed Ann look to the side slightly, an unreadable emotion stuck in the depths of her blue orbs.

Ann looked at her and Ryuji for a long moment of silence.

“Whatever you’re going to do to Kamoshida… I want in,” she said, ignoring Rem’s probing question and caused Rem and Ryuji to recoil in surprise but she continued onwards. “I can’t just sit back and do nothing after what he did to Shiho!”

That unreadable emotion… Rem saw something dark in those blue orbs.

Something dark and seething, belying a recklessness and need for violence. It was darkness driven by anger and hate, blinding a person from what they’d do and clouding their mind. Rem had once seen that anger in her own eyes when she looked in the mirror following her arrest.

Rem couldn’t allow that.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t let that happen,” Rem said crossing her arms beneath her chest. She could see as Ann visibly shook with ill-concealed rage.

“Why not?! He… what he did to Shiho!” Rem watched as Ann closed her eyes, small pinpricks of tears seeping from the corner of her puffy eyes.

She had to pin this before it got out of hand.

“What you want to do to Kamoshida… as you are, can you say it won’t end with blood on your hands…?” Rem whispered, the words barely audible but they managed to reach Ann.

Rem’s words caused the blonde to recoil, doubt and shocked surprise evident on her face.

“I-I wouldn’t-” Ann stuttered but Rem cut her off.

“Until you can look Ryuji and me in the eye and tell us it won’t… I’m not going to let you in on what we plan to do,” Rem uncrossed her arms, her hands drifting into her pockets as she shook her head.

Ann looked at her for a moment, that darkness in her orbs subsiding for a moment as it gave way to uncertainty.

Ryuji and Rem watched as she ran away.

“…Man, am I glad that you told her off,” she turned as Ryuji muttered scratching the back of his head. “If I’d said somethin’ I’d probably have told her to butt out or somethin’. Besides we can’t take her somewhere like Kamoshida’s Palace.”

“You’re a good guy Ryuji,” Rem smirked and patted him on the shoulder, “but your words with women need to be worked on. And that’s not something I’m going to help you do.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Ryuji yelped.

Rem withdrew her hand and shook her head in amusement before looking at Morgana. “It’s time we take care of the king.”

As they exited the academy and moved to the shady alleyway just opposite to it, none of the trio noticing as a bushy-haired pigtailed blond following the two. They didn’t notice as she spied them talking to each other about entering Kamoshida’s palace.

As the world distorted and the sky ran red like blood, they were unpleasantly surprised to find that Ann had followed them through to the Palace, having to quickly usher her out before she could get hurt. It was even more unpleasant to find out that Ann had somehow let herself back in and had gotten herself captured by Kamoshida’s guards and was to be summarily executed.

They were more pleasantly surprised when it turned out that Ann had the same potential as Rem and Ryuji of awakening to a Persona and even more so when she was the one doing the hurting with large gouts of flames with Carmen on hand.

The four quickly had to vacate the Palace with Ann being unused to her Persona and catching her up to speed. Rem found herself internally hesitant as she explained exactly what Kamoshida’s palace was.

She did get a Confidant link though, so that was nice.

* * *

The following day Rem found herself shocked to find a familiar head of black frizzy hair sitting at the counter of Leblanc, casually sipping coffee and eating some curry for breakfast.

Clad in a pair of jeans, a grey blazer and white undershirt and a casual pair of nice leather shoes sat Akira Kurusu.

“Isn’t that Kurusu?” Morgana hissed in her travel bag, shifting as he tried to get a better look at the teen. “Shouldn’t he be in hospital?!”

“Oh?” Kurusu let out a mutter of surprise as he looked up from his coffee and Rem found herself into grey eyes, “I’d forgotten you moved in here, Amamiya-san,” he said, taking another bite of his curry and polishing it off.

“Shouldn’t you should be in the hospital?” Rem asked bluntly, looking at the teen who visibly winced.

“What?” Sojiro whirled around from his place at the stove, looking at Rem and Kurusu. “You bothering my customers' brat? And what did you mean by hospital?”  
  
Rem winced. She hadn’t realised Sojiro had been listening but was saved as Kurusu shook his head. “Sorry, Sakura-san, we just go to the same school. We’re actually in the same class.”

Sojiro just stared at him for a moment before sighing. “Brat, if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. You haven’t gone to school a single day in the two years I’ve known you.”

Rem rose a brow. “But he goes to Shujin as well.”

Sojiro made a disbelieving sound, making a very obvious look at Rem’s uniform and Kurusu’s lack of one.

“If they made him go to school after yesterday, I’d be surprised,” Rem turned to Sojiro subsequently causing her to miss the slightly frantic look that entered Kurusu’s eyes, his hand waving in a cutting motion to his throat.

“He jumped off the school rooftop to save a student,” Rem told Sojiro having completely missed Kurusu’s hand signals. “The ambulance took him to the hospital so I’m surprised he’s even up.”

Kurusu’s hand motions fell slack as Sojiro whirled around on him with a look as if he’d caught him red-handed midway through his coffee beans. “So… you want to explain brat?”

“Uh… surprise?” Kurusu said lamely, wincing even further as Sojiro’s expression became like bedrock.

“I… may or may not have applied for Shujin after the accident last month to take some time to recover,” Kurusu said to Sojiro. “And yesterday… I… may or may not have fallen off the academy rooftop to save a student trying to commit suicide…” Kurusu finished sheepishly, Sojiro’s face turning severe.

Rem and Morgana watched the two and their conversation as if it was a tennis match.

“You mean to tell me… after getting hit by a truck and shattering several of your ribs into powder… you go and get yourself into another accident?!” Sojiro’s yell shook the firmament, Rem and Morgana recoiling while Kurusu winced.

“That first time wasn’t voluntary on my part!” Kurusu retorted lamely before realising what that implied.

“So, you decide to get yourself into another accident full-well knowing that you’re still recovering?” Sojiro asked rhetorically, “What about your injuries? What aren’t you in hospital?!”

Kurusu avoided Sojiro’s stare shiftily. “I… might have convinced my doctor to let me go a day early… their coffee is terrible.”

Rem stayed dutifully quiet as a throbbing vein pulsed on Sojiro’s temple. “And… they just allowed that?” he hissed.

“Aside from severe bruising and some fractured ribs, it’s nothing that wouldn’t be healed if I take it easy,” Kurusu looked at him and shrugged, “Doctor Hisegawa prescribed me with enough medication to keep the pain bearable and some compression wrapping to support my ribs while they heal. He told me not to do anything physically demanding for the day. Also means I can relax tomorrow since it’s a Sunday.”

Kurusu lifted his shirt slightly to prove his point, several layers of compression wrap around his torso. It also allowed Rem a glimpse of the bruising that had only gotten worse after yesterday.

Sojiro stared the teen down before letting out a loud sigh of aggravated frustration. “If you think for a single moment I’m going to let you leave my café in that state you’re dead wrong, sit your ass down in the booth brat,” he ordered, shuffling the frizzy black-haired teen into the said booth before looking at Rem.

“Don’t you have a train to catch?”

Rem was out of the café, a final glimpse of Sojiro ushering Kurusu onto the bench seats as she left before running for the last train to Aoyama-Itchome before the school gates closed. She was slightly annoyed when she found herself accidentally crashing into a brown-haired teen holding a metal briefcase as she got off the train at Aoyama.

“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” the teen apologised with a charming smile as she pushed herself off the floor. “I was looking around for where I need to go but I can’t seem to fin- Oh… you attend Shujin Academy?”

Rem looked at the teen and found him staring at the Shujin emblem on her breast. He suddenly realised exactly where he was looking when Rem gave a warning cough.

“My apologies,” the teen apologised once more with that damningly charming smile on his face. “If I may, would it be alright if I follow you? The place I’m actually looking for is Shujin Academy. I need to have a talk with the Principal about an incident that occurred yesterday.”

Rem looked at him for a moment, a fine black eyebrow rising before she slowly nodded her head, passing by the teen and making her way to school with still enough time before the gates closed.

That was how Rem found herself leading the brown-haired teen to Shujin, the eyes of the student body following her and gawking as she did so. Eventually, the two arrived, Rem rushing inside leaving the brown-haired teen at the entrance as homeroom classes started.

* * *

Akechi allowed a sick grin to make its way into his mind as he looked up at Shujin Academy, blood pumping through his veins and beneath his skin as he stared at the granite-grey building.

He could feel as Loki thirst for blood and Robin Hood for justice. In his grasp, the briefcase in his hands felt unnaturally light due to adrenaline but he nonetheless knew that it held his pistol in its depths.

He walked up the steps of the academy and entered the foyer.

Akechi immediately caught the attention of a teacher with frizzy brown hair wearing a yellow long-sleeved shirt and a blue denim skirt holding a stack of papers and looking like she hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep for the last two days.

“Excuse me, can I help you?” the woman asked with palpable exhaustion, trying to hide it behind a veneer of politeness but failed.

Goro withdrew his police badge and identification causing the woman’s eyes to shoot open stunned. “My name is Goro Akechi. I'm a detective with the National Police Agency, stationed at the Shibuya Precinct,” Goro stated succinctly before stashing away his badge/identification now that he had the woman’s full attention.

“O-Oh! I didn’t know that there was going to be an investigation…” the woman said, her voice trailing away tinged with panic but Goro waved her off.

“Actually, this is more of a personal investigation. I have a relationship with one of the students injured in the attempted suicide incident that occurred yesterday morning,” he explained professionally.

Goro found himself being placed under a scrutinizing gaze by the bushy-haired teacher. “Would that be Kurusu-san?” she asked eventually, hesitantly almost.

Goro nodded.

“That would be correct, Akira and I live together. When I received a call saying that he’d been injured preventing an attempted suicide then visiting him at the hospital, I’ve made it a priority to submit an investigation into the incident. Unofficial, of course,” Goro said with a polite but if one looked closely, thin smile. Beneath his gloves, one would’ve been able to see as his knuckles were clenched white with how tightly they were clutching his briefcase in front of him.

“Would you be able to lead me to the Principal of Shujin? I’d like to discuss with him yesterday’s incident,” Goro asked, the frizzy-haired woman nodding quickly. If he hadn’t known any better, he’d have thought she wanted to help but he knew she only wanted for the problem to be shifted to someone else.

“Of course. If you’d follow me Akechi-san,” the teacher said civilly before spinning on her heel. It didn’t take long before the two were in front of the principal’s office as it had turned out that it was on the ground floor.

“Principal Kobayakawa?” the teacher knocked twice before waiting, the two listening as there was a frantic shuffling of papers.

“Come in!” a male voice called out.

The teacher just let out a sigh as she looked at Goro before opening the door to allow him entry. As Goro entered he found himself finding a man that would have looked as if he’d had a close resemblance to a figure from the English nursery rhyme of ‘Humpty Dumpty’.

Loki crowed with unfettered glee as Kobayakawa’s gaze locked on him, his skin turning a sickly pallor of ashen white as their eyes met. Small beads of sweat bloomed on the fat man’s temple, rivulets falling down his cheek and dropping from his chin.

Good. That meant he knew exactly who he was.

Goro moved in a way that he blocked the female teacher’s view of the principal. If it had been possible, Kobayakawa turned even paler.

“Principal Kobayakawa, may I take my leave? I still have homeroom to attend and I’m late as it is,” the female asked tiredly, not bothering to look over Goro’s shoulder.

Goro gave a warning smile and a small nod. Kobayakawa gulped.

“Of course, Miss Kawakami!” he all but yelped, and before long Goro heard the teacher’s footsteps echoing from down the hall and eventually disappearing altogether.

“U-Uh… H-How can I help y-you, Akechi-” he cut himself short as Goro turned around and slowly, deliberately closed the door with his right hand.

Goro’s grip in his briefcase fell as his left swiftly unlocked it, pulled out the silenced pistol hidden within and fired in rapid succession. The briefcase landed shut and the pistol’s barrel let out thin wafting trails of smoke, all within the time it took for Goro to close the door and lock the doorknob.

Turning around, he allowed a demented grin to splay across his face as he looked at Kobayakawa. Eight small bullet holes pierced the leather seat around the Principal’s head, tiny black holes barely scant millimetre’s off from piercing his skull.

Goro slowly stalked forward, purposefully ejecting the now-empty clip of his pistol, pocketing the emptied magazine and withdrawing a loaded one before slamming it into his pistol and pulling back the receiver. The sound of a bullet loading into the chamber of the gun almost reverberated in the now silent room, the Principal quaking beneath his skin, sweat pouring down his skin as he soaked his brown rotund suit.

In a few steps, Goro was lying his pistol beneath Kobayakawa’s chin as he sat on the nice wooden and polished desk, tilting him upwards and forcing him to look at him in the eyes.

“I… am quite displeased with you,” Goro purred, the fat man continuing to sweat with the threat of his brain matter being exploded across the back of his expensive leather chair.

“Wh-what’s the m-meaning of this? I haven’t d-done anything wrong,” the Humpty-Dumpty lookalike stammered in fearful confusion. “I’ve done everything that Shido-san has asked- hrrk!” he gulped, shouting his mouth as the silencer digging into his chin dug just a little bit further.

“This… has nothing to do with Shido,” Goro leaned forward, burgundy-red eyes glinting as Loki leeched on his unhinged wrath. Robin Hood stayed quiet, silent and watching as personal justice was placed forth, but secretly, it stood over a small piece of thought. Barely anything worth notice but Robin Hoos stood over it vigilantly, Loki distracted as it continued to leech and increase Goro's wrath.

“Th-then wha- eep!” Kobayakawa tried to ask but Goro simply dug a little further, his silenced pistol digging beneath his jawbone and placing itself directly underneath his jaw, pointing directly upwards.

“Ah-ah, I didn’t say you could talk,” he tutted, the man beneath him quivering.

“I am very _very_ disappointed with you,” Goro repeated as he looked the egg-shaped man- no, that would be an insult to eggs. “It’s very frustrating to get a call in the middle of work to say that the only person I care about in this damned world got himself injured in _your_ school.”

Kobayakawa’s eyes traded fearful confusion for fearful realisation.

“You see, I wasn’t aware that Akira had enrolled in this school. So it’s extremely unpleasant to find out that he’d injured himself saving one of _your_ students from killing herself,” Goro said as he shook his head. “Don’t misunderstand, I don’t care that one of your students tried to kill herself. She’s not my problem.”

Goro continued speaking. “What’s been done to her, however? I do many things and killing is one of them, but sexual abuse? On a minor?”

Kobayakawa shut his eyes as the pistol was slowly removed and it was instead moved to his forehead, the cold metal of the silencer pressing against his skin.

Goro leaned next to his ear and hissed, “Even I have lines I won't cross.”

“Add to that, after a bit of research in police files of submitted cases of physical and sexual abuse submitted in regards to a certain teacher and finding that they’d all been ignored under _your_ insistence,” Goro hiss turned into a growl, “I am very _displeased._ ”

“And that’s ignoring the fact that because you couldn’t keep your pet mongrel on a leash, Akira had to save one of your students from killing herself. Allow me to make one thing clear, Shido may still have use for you but I have never had any,” Goro dug the pistol forward, pushing the fat man’s head against the chair of his leather. Two beady eyes looked upwards cross-eyed in fear.

“Keep your mongrel on a tighter leash or you’ll quickly finding yourself without any use,” Goro growled but all the same allowed a fake saccharine sweet smile to cross his face.

“Am I clear?”

Kobayakawa’s quick squeaky nod was his answer, flabs of skin and fat waving as rivulets of sweat flew through the air. His brown suit was stained a darker brown from the nervous sweat.

“I’m glad we’ve come to an understanding,” Goro smiled as he withdrew his pistol, the man sagging in his chair in relief.

Goro ignored him as he turned around and picked up his briefcase and unlocking it. Quietly, he unscrewed the silencer and ejected the magazine clip before flipping on the safety switch before storing them all underneath his files and laptop. He shut his briefcase with a click.

He turned to look at Kobayakawa one last time.

“If any harm comes to Akira in this godforsaken school… I won’t be coming back. I’ll simply ensure you fall dead like every other person I’ve killed,” he smiled darkly as Kobayakawa began to hyperventilate.

Goro flicked the lock on the door open and exited the room. All too soon he found himself on the front steps of Shujin Academy. A small smile graced his features, unlike the dark and twisted ones from earlier this one was closer to a smirk.

Doing all of that in the real world… of his own volition, without Loki or Robin Hood to influence his decision, only the two accepting his choice. It was _liberating_. He‘d done it because he wanted to, not because his Persona had controlled his emotions.

It was almost embarrassing that he had a slight spring in his step as he made his way back to Aoyama station, having memorized on the way to the school when he’d followed that braided hair girl in the morning. Looking at his phone he realised it was actually closer to lunchtime.

Akira had said he’d be staying in that café he liked to frequent for the majority of the day, electing to leave the hospital no matter how much Doctor Hisegawa or Goro advised otherwise. He’d stated he’d rather be having some good coffee and not the dirt water served in the hospital cafeteria.

Goro shook his head at the thought of his friend. He was always so picky with his coffee, it was a miracle that there was a café that met his wants.

**Gurgle**

Goro looked down at his stomach.

Hmm… Maybe some coffee and curry wouldn’t be a bad idea before he returned to the precinct. He had cited to his teacher that he’d be taking the day off so there wasn’t too much harm in getting some lunch before work.

With his destination in mind, Goro stowed away his phone into his pocket and made his way to Aoyama station for Yongen.

Unbeknownst to him, in his pocket, a certain app with a black eye and red background opened.

Text scrolled across the screen.

_Shujin Academy._

_Pervert._

_Castle._

_Beginning navigation._

Goro still made his way to the station. In his pocket, the app on his phone flashed before a new line of text appeared.

_Navigation cancelled. Palace out of range._

Goro continued on unaware.

* * *

Rem sighed as she returned back to Leblanc, a bunch of dubious drugs and model guns hidden away in her bag, Morgana sitting on top of them being careful not to break them. After meeting up yesterday, the four of them with the inclusion of Ann since she’d awaken to her Persona, had agreed it was better to prepare before they re-entered the palace.

That was how yesterday she’d found herself lying to the back-alley doctor of Yongen-Jaya, Tae Takemi, that she’d needed medicines for her exams and studying. The two had come to an agreement that in exchange for medicine, Rem would be Tae’s medical guinea pig.

Rem knew that Tae knew that she’d been lying. She was a horrendous liar at times, but it seemed Tae hadn’t cared all that much. She wasn’t sure who’d gotten the most out of that deal between the two of them. It was a nice bonus, however, when she’d unlocked the Death Arcana with her.

Today, she’d gone with Ryuji to a back-alley store in Shibuya called Untouchables, an airsoft shop with some suspiciously hyper-realistic guns. Unfortunately, since they were fresh faces, the surly manager of the shop had only given the two access to some of his more basic stock. Rem had a feeling that they’d still be more than viable for use in Kamoshida’s palace.

She had a feeling that the surly airsoft shop owner would be helpful one day; it wasn’t a feeling based on logic but more in… instinct, she supposed? Rem shook her head as she returned to the here and now.

She’d tuned out the conversation between a haughty regular of Leblanc and Sojiro, eventually the haughty regular leaving and Sojiro closing shop for the night. Rem herself retiring to the attic.

**Ting-a-ling**

Rem rose a brow as she placed her carry bag to the side, Morgana leaping out. The black cat began stowing away the model weapons and medicine on questionable legality into the small cupboard adjacent to the stairs and out of view while Rem withdrew her vibrating phone from her pocket.

She noticed it was a text from Ann.

 **Ann:** So, I went to see Shiho in the hospital again today… Kurusu-san wasn’t there anymore.

 **Rem:** I know, I saw him at a café in Yongen yesterday

 **Rem:** He seemed fine all things considered but he’s still recovering.

 **Rem:** How’s Shiho?

 **Ann:** Her condition is stable.

 **Ann:** Doctor Hisegawa said it looked like another week or two before she’s conscious.

Rem rubbed her temples as she thought about the black-haired volleyball player.

 **Rem:** You need to trust that she’ll come through.

 **Ann:** Yeah.

 **Ann:** She’ll get better, I just need to believe in her.

 **Ann:** But… I’ll never forgive Kamoshida. He’s going to pay for what he did, no matter what.

And here was the crux of the problem. As much as Rem wanted Ann to join her, Ryuji, and Morgana, Ann simply wasn’t in the right headspace. Every now and then, Rem could still see flashes of darkness in her orbs, something violent and vicious.

With what they were planning on doing, Rem wasn’t comfortable with that.

But in the end, more help was better than ending up dead because she was being picky. But that didn’t mean that Rem wouldn’t be drawing a line on their actions.

 **Rem:** If you go too far, I will stop you.

 **Rem:** We aren’t murderers. I won’t let you be one either.

Rem waited for a few moments, but after several seconds of receiving no reply, she stowed her phone away with a sigh.

“We’re heading into the palace tomorrow, so let’s get some sleep.”

Rem rolled her eyes but nonetheless followed Morgana’s urgings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, palace time! Which will basically amount to…. Akira stalking them and being incredibly offended that he doesn’t have a grappling hook.
> 
> That’s about as far as I’ve thought of scene wise for the next chapter.
> 
> Edit: Yay, we’ve reached 50K words! Surprised I’ve gotten this far. This is three times as far as I’d initially estimated.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with chapter 11 folks, and que Akira stalking the gang. Also, a shout out to Unique Name for giving me some ideas to use, such as Akira editing the palace maps.

It turned out that in the two days he’d been away, he’d become something akin to the talk of the school because of his actions. The moment Akira returned to Shujin Academy on Monday, girls had swarmed his desk asking him if he was alright while guys patted him on the shoulder for saving Shiho. The latter of which he wanted to punch in the face because it seemed they didn’t understand that jumping off of a three-story building meant he obviously had injuries and damn it _hurt_ …

He let out a quiet sigh of relief as he crouched in his perch in the rafters of Kamoshida’s palace, a Diarama working its magic on his spine and fixing his spinal disks as he watched Rem, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana scurry around the hallways like mice. He closed his eyes and allowed Ongyo-Ki to surface.

He looked at the black Oni, the ultimate of the hermit, and the result of his bond with Futaba.

COLD

Ongyo-Ki gave the smallest of bows before disappearing into the depths of Kamoshida’s palace, the black Oni ninja unseen and unheard from both Rem and the guards of the Palace. He looked back down as he felt information flood his mind, Ongyo-Ki transferring the data he gathered during his scouting back to him.

It turned out that somehow, there were some differences between this Kamoshida’s palace and his own. He noticed that there seemed to be three strange rooms that definitely hadn’t been in his own, so strong in their distortion that he could hear Kamoshida’s voice echoing from them. Additionally, there were some layout differences compared to what he remembered.

The only reason he knew it wasn’t Kamoshida’s Shadow was because he could sense the overwhelming lust that was emanated by his shadow from far above in his personal tower. He shook his head as he looked down at the map in front of him. He took out a ball-point pen from his pocket, something that was on his person when he followed after the group once school finished and began annotating the map as Ongyo-Ki continued transmitting the information.

He’d swiped the first map from the barred room, Third Eye making it easy to understand which chains to pull down and was now annotating the locations of all of the treasure chests, locked doors, points of interest, and in a large emphasizing circle the room that the distorted voices were coming from. As much as he wanted to take a peek inside, something deep within his bones told him he wasn’t meant to do so. He could tell it was something only for Rem.

Akira felt as Ongyo-Ki shadowed Rem, his Persona noticing that they would be reaching the room the map was meant to be held after just a few more battles against some shadows and notified him. He leapt down from his perch and landed on the foyer floor, recalling Ongyo-Ki.

It seemed even his Persona could be a navigator, just like its contractor. Just like how Oracle had once been.

The moment he landed on the floor, the ground burst into black and red bulging puddles. It seemed he’d been noticed. Akira sighed as two dancing Jack Frosts and a Mandrake appeared in front of him.

“Intruder!”

“Kill him-ho!”

Akira had sliced past them in the moment it had taken them to shout, Paradise Lost gliding through the shadows with ease. He continued walking as they exploded behind him. The strongest of this Palace’s shadows wouldn’t even be able to leave a scratch on him, but even so, it was better to take care of them immediately lest they sound the alarm.

He’d be a pretty terrible Phantom Thief if he let Rem know that there was someone else in the Place beside them. Akira crouched down, and with Ongyo-Ki’s natural efficiency in movement and speed aiding him, sped through the halls of the Palace without so much as a wind in his wake. It took only moments before he was once more in the open room where he’d gotten the map.

Unfurling it, he placed it flat on the table and moved around the pillars, pulling the chains downwards so that the bars rose back up and sealed off any access until the chains were once more pulled in the correct order.

Akira sighed.

He wanted to do more, but doing so would limit the Trickster’s growth along with the others. He’d risked a lot simply by giving Morgana the Sword of Liangshan and the Liang Yang. Even now Akira could tell Morgana’s growth was being limited using such strong weapons. But he’d been emotionally compromised when he’d given them to Morgana, scared he wouldn’t make it to the Trickster in the month between his birth and his imprisonment in Kamoshida’ palace.

He shook his head.

What’s done was done.

He eased the door closed as he vacated the room, Ongyo-Ki manifesting once more into the Palace to scout ahead while also monitoring the fledgling Phantom Thieves. Akira’s attention, on the other hand, was focused on the second half of the two maps.

Pulling himself once more into the rafters with an impressive show of acrobatics and concealing himself in the shadow of the ceiling, he began his ascent.

* * *

Rem wiped a growing bead of sweat from her forehead and wished that her outfit would stop changing her hair into a high ponytail every time they entered the Palace. It was annoying having long strands of her hair stick to her face or whip around every time they fought. Having it back in a braid would be so much easier.

She flicked her twin chain-nails into a loop before depositing it on her hip, much like how Panther had done with her whip. Originally, she’d twirled them around her right forearm but it proved too tedious trying to constantly wound and unwound it after each battle with Kamoshida’s shadows.

She eased open the next door and the group found themselves in a strange room, with bars preventing them from accessing the centre.

“Huh…? What’s that?” Skull asked, walking over to the bars and peering between them. “It looks like some kinda map or somethin’,” he muttered, Panther trailing behind him. He gripped the bars between his hands but they didn’t seem to move, “These damn things are blockin’ us.”

“If he’s protecting it this securely, it has to be important,” Mona reasoned while rubbing the bottom of his football-shaped head, “That means there should be a way in and out of there. Joker, do you think you can figure out how to get past these?”

Rem didn’t say anything.

Instead, her vision darkened.

Activating the ability Igor had bestowed open her, she spied a set of footprints on the floor in a shining blue heading to two specific chain-levers hanging from the mouth of demonic goat heads. Pulling the two in succession proved to be the correct thing as the bars quickly lowered.

“Is this… some sort of map?” Panther asked in wonderment, looking down at the large brown sheet of paper on the table in the centre of the room.

“Wow… this is amazing!” Mona gaped as he looked over Rem’s shoulder, perched on her left, taking in the intricately detailed map.

Rem’s eyes narrowed as she picked it up. Looking closely at the notes and marking on the map, she swiped a finger over them before looking at her gloves.

They came back tinged with partially dried black ink.

“This is fresh…” Rem muttered as her brows furrowed, “Is Kamoshida toying with us?

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Ann growled as she looked over the map in newfound annoyance.

“No… I don’t think so,” Morgana shook his head as he looked over the map. “With how fresh this is, it would’ve meant Kamoshida had put this here just moments ago. He wanted to kill us, remember? He could’ve just waited for us here.”

“Eh, who cares? A map’s a map!” Ryuji shrugged his shoulders before walking up and swiping the map from Rem. “Besides this things gotta be useful right?”

“You’re hopeless…” Morgana shook his head as he hopped down from Joker’s shoulder. “Still… it does certainly seem useful, I’ll give you that much.”

The bobble-headed cat looked up at their leader. “How about it Joker? Do you think we should trust this?”

Rem shrugged, prying the map from Ryuji’s hands and looking it over, the annotations of all safe room locations, locked chests, and some points of interests. She did notice something peculiar about it though. “This isn’t the whole map,” Rem announced showing it to the group.

She was right. It only showed the bottom half of the Palace, and even then, it didn’t show some portions of the basement.

“Well… it wouldn’t be too much of a guess to say there might be more of these things around,” Morgana stated.”

“Mkay, let’s start checkin’ around then,” Ryuji shrugged his shoulders lazily. “We’ll prolly find another map along the way somewhere if that’s the case.”

Joker nodded, tucking the map away for later use. She looked at her hand, the tip of her thumb stained with now dried ink.

She had a strange feeling.

* * *

Akira slammed his head against the pillar disgruntled.

“I am such an idiot…” he muttered as he continued slamming his head against the pillar in annoyance. He was running on the top of the pillars in Kamoshida’s cathedral when Ongyo-Ki had relayed some important information back to him.

Information such as the fact that he hadn’t even made sure the ink dried on the map, which had caused Rem and her group to question it. He couldn’t believe he’d missed something as crucial as that.

“Some Phantom Thief I am,” Akira smashed his head against the wall one more time, shattering it and leaving a large gouge of crumbling marble before allowing Chi You, the ultimate persona of the Chariot Arcana to fade away along with its Repel Phys.

Marble pillar dust was stuck in Akira’s slicked-back hair, which running a gloved hand through it quickly removed the rubble for the most part. He shook his head for good measure, allowing a quick sigh to leave his lips before squaring his shoulders.

It was a good thing he’d left Ongyo-Ki to shadow the group as they slowly made their way through the palace. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have realised his mistake.

“I should probably buy a quick-dry marker or something… or just use an Agi…” Akira muttered as he shook off his mistake and noted it down for the future. It was good that he learnt it now rather than before Makoto joined, she’d probably have figured out something was up in an instant.

COLD

It also pained him to admit, but Rem was certainly sharper than he had been. She’d noticed his mistake almost immediately.

“…” Akira mulled over that thought for a minute before shaking his head. They both may be Trickster’s but they were their own people. He wasn’t Rem, and Rem wasn’t him.

Looking around to ensure he wouldn’t be seen, Akira leapt off the pillars and up into the rafters above. Leaning against the wall, he hid in the surrounding darkness and allowed his mind to fully meld with Ongyo-Ki, using his Persona as a physical extension and looking through its eyes as it watched the group scurry around.

The two watched as Rem and the group came across a broken spiral staircase, one that Ongyo-Ki had noticed and Akira had marked down on the map as inaccessible. He shook his head, they were certainly a persistent bunch if they were going to try and ascend that way.

It was strange because this was the area just before Kamoshida’s hidden room full of those disgusting pictures of Shiho along with the second map which he’d already annotated and returned. Hopefully, by the time they get there, the ink would have dried. The reason why he found it strange was because Akira didn’t remember the staircase being broken in his own reality… actually now that he thought about it, he wasn’t all too sure there had been a staircase at all.

But back to that matter of the broken staircase, Akira would have been able to run across the walls from the broken section of the staircase to the upper section, but that’s with a whole year of experience and exploring through various palaces. Rem, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana as they were now wouldn’t be able to do that.

He watched closely, curious as to how they’d get past this. With Ongyo-Ki being a master of stealth, and an Oni with supernatural powers it was a cinch for it to cloak itself and not be seen while also watching and listening in on the group.

“Uhh… I don’ think we’re gonna have any luck this way…” Ryuji muttered rubbing the back of his head.

“I don’t suppose there’s any other way is there?” Ann looked around, her fake tail swaying s she did so.

Morgana looked around before pointing up at… a… demonic goat head?

It looked remarkably like the ones that held chains in the map room, but rather than holding a chain it held a bronze ring between its teeth. As far as Akira could tell, the goat-head didn’t seem to emanate any sort of power.

“What about it? Are we throwin’ a rope over that and climbin’ it?” Ryuji asked.

Morgana turned around with a familiar smirk on his face, the type he used to wear when he had a trick up his sleeve.

COLD

“Phantom thieves do things a bit more stylishly than that…” Morgana smirked as his eyes turned akin to gleaming stars, “…and I know just what’ll do the trick.”

He turned to Rem before handing her something, the object too tiny for Akira or Ongyo-Ki to make out from a distance, even with Ongyo-Ki’s enhanced eyesight. She seemed to squeeze her left wrist with a flourish before looking down at Morgana.

“Good- seems like it fits properly,” Morgana smiled.

“What is this thing?” Rem muttered while looking over the thing attached to her wrist.

Morgana smirked “Just a little something I’ve been working on in secret. Go ahead and try it out!”

Akira and Ongyo-Ki watched as Ryuji and Ann latched onto Rem as she stepped forward, Morgana sitting on her shoulder. She threw her left hand outward with another flourish, something zipping from her wrist and attaching to the ring in the goat statue’s mouth snugly.

The group zipped through the air smoothly and landed on the banister of the staircase above.

Akira gaped.

The group continued to move as Akira and Ongyo-Ki just stared in silent shock. He continued to stare at the space they’d previously been occupying then up to the goat bust with the bronze ring in its mouth with the distinct expression as if it had done everything in its power to offend him.

Akira felt like that one blue train meme that Futaba had once shown him years ago.

Never had Akira seen such bullshit before in his life.

Returning back to his body and relinquishing his mind-meld on Ongyo-Ki, Akira pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He couldn’t help but wonder why _he_ hadn’t gotten a grappling hook.

Great now he was feeling slight jealousy over a grappling hook.

He shook his head of the thoughts of grappling hook and continued his way up through Kamoshida’s palace.

* * *

Akira stared at the Tyrant Pistol as if it was some sort of alien object.

Looking around and spotting a guard, he silently drifted over to it. Once he was close to it he jumped onto its shoulder and ripped off its mask, backflipping as it exploded into a group of Silky and…

“What the hell is that..?” Akira muttered as he looked at the feline shadow standing on its hind-legs while wielding a scimitar-like sword in its right paw. He shook his head for a moment, pushing onto a currently much more important matter.

He raised the Tyrant Pistol and fired _again_ , bullets tearing through the shadows like paper and riddling them with bullet holes.

This was the third time he’d done so. His ammo had refilled _somehow_ after each battle. He couldn’t get over the fact that his ammo refilled!

“This… would have been so useful earlier…” Akira groused as he tucked away the Tyrant Pistol into its holster. Every time he’d been in a Palace before, he’d only have a solid eight bullets to use carefully before he ran out of ammo for the infiltration.

The only way to get some more and refill was to either exit the Palace which wasted a day’s worth of exploration or crafting reserve ammo refills.

Whatever was going on negated that and Akira was planning to milk it for what it was worth. He wondered if it had something to do with this reality. He’d never noticed before in Memenots since he’d gotten so used to hoarding ammo that he never actually ended up using it.

He looked longingly at the Tyrant Pistol, this newfound ability of magical ammo replenishing making him want to just run wild and shoot everything in sight. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t do so, some things currently more important than wanting to be trigger-happy.

Moving forward, he kept in mind that he should keep an eye out for that strange feline creature with the scimitar. He didn’t recognise it, but he could tell it was a Persona connected to Humanities’ Sea of Souls.

Shaking his head and entered the final safe room just shy of Kamoshida’s treasure and sat down, taking a break. The fatigue he was feeling wasn’t too bad, especially with how much stronger he was compared to the nearby shadows but having to jump and climb over various obstacles, especially up the side of a _tower_ would make anyone slightly exhausted.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to meld once more with Ongyo-Ki and look at the group’s progress.

Oh, that is such bullshit.

It had taken him a solid twenty minutes to scale the side of Kamoshida’s tower even with his Persona enhancing his physical capabilities. But here he was connecting to Ongyo-Ki and watching as Rem glided through the air with the use of her grapple hook and ascended the tower in less than ten seconds.

He couldn’t believe how aggravating it was to watch as she used the grappling hook at a myriad of chances. She used it to get to the second of those weird rooms filled with distorted desires, or to get over high obstacles and get to chests.

Back in his day he had to use his hands and climb.

“Oh dear god… I’m sounding like an old man…” Akira splayed his hand over his face before dragging it downwards with a groan.

Perhaps shadowing the group wasn’t such a solid idea after all.

“There has to be a better way to rig the game than just stalking them through palaces and writing on maps,” Akira muttered as he leaned back in the chair, keeping his mind open as he watched the group continue to ascend through the tower and even at one point descend all the way to the basement.

Huh… so there were three of those weird distortion rooms, and they held… skulls?

“Weird…” Akira murmured before bringing his mind back to the present. Maybe he’d have to show his hand after all if he wanted them to grow…

A small thought popped into his head, specifically a time when he’d gotten his butt kicked by Caroline and Justine during his beginner days as a Phantom Thief. An idea began to form in his mind.

“That… might just work…” Akira muttered as he stood up, a small grin spreading on his face. “I’ll just have to wait for a good time… maybe… at the end of Aiyatsbus…?”

He swivelled on his feet, giving one last look through Ongyo-Ki to look at Rem and co. finding them in an area full of swinging blades over a precariously narrow path. They were only a singly floor below him.

He recalled Ongyo-Ki, the demon Oni returning to the depths of his Sea of Souls. His duty was done for now. He grasped his pendant and closed his eyes.

Reality blurred as the barrier between realities thinned allowing him to slip through. He disappeared from the safe room just as the door opened admitting a beleaguered and tired group of novice Phantom Thieves.

* * *

“Aww man, how much more do we have to go?” Ryuji groaned as flopped down into the nearest chair, almost tipping backwards with the force he fell into it. Around him, the other members of the group did similar things as they tried to recuperate.

Rem could feel a ringing headache forming from using her Persona so much. During this exploration of the Palace alone, she’d garnered around six new Personae and constantly switching through them left a noticeable strain on her mind.

She could tell the others were feeling the same way, Ann flopping her upper half onto the table while cradling her head while Morgana was spread-eagle along the rest of the open table. Rem shook her head as she nudged Morgana to the side and spread the second map they’d found in Kamoshida’s… hidden room.

She internally winced in disgust at the room filled wall to wall with compromising photos of Shiho in the middle of being sexually abused by Kamoshida. It was so bad that when Ann had almost burned down the room by summoning Carmen, Rem hadn’t actually held her back actually wanting to join her.

She may have not wanted to actually kill Kamoshida but destroying the disgusting room full of filth was more than fair game. Looking over at the blonde female of the group, she could tell that every now and then her thoughts drifted over to Shiho, her face scrunching up in a mix of disgust and anger. Rem was just thankful Ann was able to keep it bottled up for the moment, but sooner or later she’d need to vent.

And Rem didn’t want that vent to result in Kamoshida turning into a corpse.

She shook her head from those thoughts for the moment and looked down at the map, a giant circle around a specific room and the word ‘TREASURE’ written in black dried ink. “If I’m reading this right, that big room with the giant doors we passed earlier should be just before the treasure,” Rem pointed out, Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana struggling to even look up.

“Woo…” Ryuji pumped out the most pathetic sound of excitement, his arm lifting into the air before falling back down. “Okay, let’s take a break or somethin’ for a bit…”

Rem grimaced at his reaction, already able to tell that the rest of the group was the same way. Today was meant to be a minor infiltration, and make some progress but what had ended happening was that they’d traversed the full length of the Palace, and at Rem’s insistence had located every Will Seed, Safe Room, and treasure chest. This, therefore, resulted in the now beleaguered state of the team, barely able to walk.

“C’mon,” Rem clapped her hands together before placing them on her hips and cocking them to the side. She placed a couple of drinks onto the table that she’d gotten from various vending machines around the city, Arginade and Water of Rebirth being some of the more useful ones which were quickly snatched by the group and chugged like their lives depended on it.

“Oh, that’s so much better,” Ann said blissfully, placing the half-empty cold drink of Arginade against her forehead.

“Do we got any more of these things?” Ryuji asked, his drink already gone as he made his way through another drink, this one just some normal soda to keep up his sugar levels.

“Just this one,” Rem motioned to the one in her own hand that she quickly drank. Immediately she could feel a portion of her fatigue lift from her weary mind, causing her to sigh in relief. Popping open a can of soda she sat down.

“Okay, maybe a five-minute break…” Rem conceded and allowed herself to rest

The group groaned in relief.

“Ten minutes?” Ann asked like a floppy noodle over the table.

“I can live with that.”

All-too-soon the group was making their final trek to Kamoshida’s treasure.

* * *

“This the room?” Ryuji asked as the group approached a sturdy looking door following their entrance into the throne room and past Kamoshida’s Shadow via climbing up a statue.

Rem nodded as she pushed open the doors with an ominously loud creak, bidding the group entry to the Treasure.

Rem almost found herself gaping at the literal treasure room, filled to the brim with all sort of gold and riches.

“Whoa, what is this place!? Holy shit!”

It didn’t stop Ryuji from gaping, nor Ann.

“The Treasure’s got to be somewhere in here, right?” Ann asked as she looked around, looking for something that could possibly resemble something of Kamoshida’s distorted desires. She noticed some sort of multi-coloured cloud floating in the air, the group quickly surrounding and examining it.

“What’s this? It’s… just floating there.”

Morgana hopped up onto a nearby large fallen golden chalice with a chuckle. “Hehe… That’s the treasure. We finally found it!”

Rem rose a brow. “This cloudy thing?” she asked as she took a closer look. It didn’t seem like it was anything tangible, a quick swipe through it proved her right.

Morgana turned around and looked at her. “Just hold on a second. I was planning on telling you more once we made it this far,” he said. “Simply find ing the Treasure isn’t enough. We’ll need to make it materialise before we can steal it.”

The three humans looked at Morgana with looks of equal confusion between the three of them.

“Whaddya mean?” Ryuji asked as he sat down on the same golden chalice Morgana was standing on.

“Desires have no physical form by nature,” Morgana explained crossing his spindly arm paws, “Hence, we’ll need to first make the real persona aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they’re conscious that their desires might be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself.”

“I don’t think it would be wise to just go up to Kamoshida and tell him we’re going to steal his desires,” Rem pointed out.

“Of course we wouldn’t do anything as moronic as that,” Morgana looked up at her. “We only need to send them a warning that their desires are in danger of being stolen. We can simply tell them “We’re going to steal your heart” through a calling card.”

“A calling card? Aw man, that’s totally what a phantom thief would do!” Ryuji grinned with bubbling excitement.

“Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain!” Morgana nodded, “…I think!”

“That again?” Ryuji slumped like a balloon empty of air. “Either way, sounds like it’s worth givin’ it a shot!”

“Excellent! Our infiltration route is secure,” Morgana hopped down. “All that’s left now is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the Treasure!”

“So… this is finally it…” Ann let out.

“It took us a while but we got here… even if we are dead on our feet….” Rem nodded in agreement, twisting her neck and allowing the air bubbles in her vertebrae to pop.

“Once we sound out the calling card, there’ll be no turning back,” Morgana looked at the three of them. “When we send out the calling card, we need to be ready to steal Kamoshida’s treasure.”

Everyone nodded. The four quickly returned to the Safe Room just in front of Kamoshida’s throne room and exited the Palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, we’re now finished with Kamoshida’s place for infiltration. I honestly did not want to write the whole thing so I thought screw it, I’ll just quickly skim through a large majority of it so we can get to the treasure cause pretty sure most of you understand Kamoshida’s palace.
> 
> If I talked about the palace I’d be here for like three chapter detailing every move that the team made just like I did in Chapter 6, I think it was where Rem was captured. And I would’ve wanted to have just stopped writing if I did that.
> 
> Only reason why I did the chapter in one day is because that’s what I did, but to be fair, I did basically cheat by using Izanagi-no-Ookami Picaro with its victory cry and myriad truths making it easy to absolutely demolish every shadow and not need to worry about SP. of course, DLC isn’t a thing here... mostly cause it's clothing or personas, some of which don't make sense for Akira to have.
> 
> Also, this is under the heavy assumption that you’ve played P5R and maybe P5.
> 
> Next up, the calling card, boss fight and maybe confession.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ermaghered
> 
> That feeling when Eggsumi comments.
> 
> Ahem, aside from that here we are with Chapter 12. Honestly don’t know how I still have a writing muse to be honest because the longest story I’ve written was like 12 chapters for Fire Emblem: Awakening on Fanfiction.net. Here’s to hoping I can keep going after this chapter!
> 
> Edit: By some miracle I managed to finish an assignment, a quiz worth a fifth of my grade and this chapter. 
> 
> Second Edit: Man, I’ve found out I hate writing boss fights. Like if I had a football that had the words “Boss Fights Script” on it, I’d throw it into a trash compactor.

It was just a bit over a week since Akira had watched Rem infiltrate Kamoshida’s palace and reached the final Safe Room before anything interesting happened at school. It was as he and Sumire were entering the school foyer that Akira could hear heated whispers echoing around the length of the academy.

“A calling card?”

“I heard it was already posted by the time everyone got here this morning.”

“Um… Akira-senpai, did something happen?” Sumire looked around quizzically at the groups of students congregating around the school noticeboards.

So... today would be the day they took Kamoshida’s treasure.

Akira looked around before his vision caught sight of Ryuji, Rem, and Ann loitering around to the side, a smirk full of pride sitting on Ryuji’s face. “Stay here, I’ll be right back…” Akira whispered to Sumire who nodded quietly.

He quickly slinked through the students grouping around the bulletin board, swiftly moving to the front and snagging one of the calling cards before returning to Sumire. Almost eagerly, she grabbed his arm and pulled downwards so she could get a better look at what he was holding.

“Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust…” Akira read out loudly, in the corner of his eyesight he could see the trio focus in on him as he spoke, “We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can’t fight back. That’s why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins.”

“This will be done tomorrow…” Sumire continued where he left off, her eyes trailing down the length of the calling card. “… So, we hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.”

She let go of his arm, looking at the card in confusion. “What… is this?” she wondered quietly, her nose scrunching cutely in thought.

Akira shrugged, “Some sort of calling card, like those things old-school phantom thieves used to send… this one’s pretty terrible though…”

He found amusement in how Ryuji slumped, his soul almost left his body from the blow. If Akira were being honest though, the whole thing looked like it was made in ten minutes. At least when Yusuke joins they’d have a better-looking calling card.

COLD

“They’re going to… target Mr. Kamoshida?” Sumire whispered, before looking up at Akira. “Um… Akira-senpai, what do you think about this? About these Phantom Thieves…?”

Akira mulled over his words carefully. “I… will wait to see what happens before I make an opinion,” he eventually said, Sumire seeming to take comfort in his words as tension leaked from her body.

Around the school, whispers were still audible from all over.

“Did Mr. Kamoshida do something wrong?”

“Does this mean the rumours are true!?”

“Wait a sec… Is someone gonna take something from Mr. Kamoshida?”

“What’s with this weird logo?”

Akira did have to admit, he never did find out how Ryuji had managed to spread well over hundreds of calling-cards over the length of the entire school in a single morning, much less make them all.

Heavy footfalls were audible from down the hallway, the man in question of the calling cards appearing as he looked at the calling cards with a severe look on his face.

“Who’s responsible for this?!” Kamoshida shouted, his voice echoing as several students yelped and jumped back in fright. “Did you do this!? Or was it you!?” he continued shouting whirling around on students at random

Akira watched as student fled the scene, Kamoshida eyes whirling around on any other possible responsible party.

Oh… whoops.

Which the nearest just so happened to be him and Sumire. The trio were only further down the hall, watching Kamoshida’s reaction.

“Was it you?!” Kamoshida roared into his face, Akira feeling as Sumire hid behind him.

Calmly, Akira grabbed a handkerchief and wiped the spit that had flown onto his face from Kamoshida’s face and wiped it off, all the while staring down Kamoshida who was breathing like a raging bull. His left-hand drift backwards and clasped onto Sumire’s giving her a comforting squeeze.

Kamoshida suddenly grabbed him by his blazer, lifting him up ever so slightly. “Do you have anything to say!?”

“If you don’t wish to be reported for assault on a minor… I’d suggest you release me,” Akira said succinctly staring Kamoshida down. Kamoshida’s grip became tighter on his blazer, the cloth squeaking as fibres rubbed together.

Whispers ran down the hallway as students watched the interaction, surprised that someone had the gall to talk Kamoshida down. Some had even taken to video recording them.

“The new guy is crazy!”

“Isn’t he the one that saved Suzui-san?”

“Does this count as assault?”

“Mr. Kamoshida, what is the meaning of this!” a panicked voice shouted down the hallway, “Release Kurusu-san at once!”

Both Akira and Kamoshida looked in surprise as Principal Kobayakawa came waddling down the hall, his bulging suit dripping with perspiration and a panicked look on his face. “Mr. Kamoshida, release him!” Kobayakawa ordered once more.

Akira noticed the fearful panic in the depth of his seedy eyes.

So… Akechi had had a ‘chat’ with Kobayakawa after all.

Kamoshida in a state of shock of actually being reprimanded by Principal Kobayakawa released Akira, his two feet touching the floor as he felt Sumire clutching at the back of his blazer.

“Mr. Kamoshida, may I remind you that you are a respectable teacher of Shujin Academy,” Kobayakawa reprimanded him, but it was easily telling that he did it out of fear than any actual responsibility to his student.

“Why is Principal Kobayakawa only taking action now?

“Didn’t the rumours say he was in on Mr. Kamoshida’s actions?”

Realising that there were students watching the interaction, he quickly waddled over to shoo them away. Kamoshida gave Akira and Sumire one last look, his breathing heavy and swift as he almost growled before looking for other students to interrogate.

As soon as he began to grill the trio, Akira felt Sumire’s face bury itself into the small of his back, clearly feeling her distress. “…I’m sorry I didn’t do anything,” he barely caught her whisper, but he’d caught it nonetheless.

He turned around causing Sumire to look up at him, a hand running through her red-tresses comfortingly. “I’d rather you’d have stayed out of the way. I don’t think I would’ve been able to stop myself from punching him in the face if he did something to you,” Akira replied honestly, shaking off her apology.

His words caused her face to bloom red like her crimson locks, her eyes averting from his in shyness but the distress clearly melting away because of his words and actions. Even with his hand running through his hair, he kept a small part of his attention on Kamoshida. His vision shifted into darkness, the only ones remaining in his eyesight being Kamoshida’s shadow, Rem, Ryuji, and Ann.

Shit.

Akira held his breath for a moment, but it didn’t seem like they could see him. He let go with a large exhale.

“Come… Steal it, if you can!” Shadow Kamoshida sneered at the three, Akira feeling as security within the Palace tightened exponentially until every shadow within the castle was on-guard.

Just as fast, the darkness vanished and he was back in the foyer.

“Come on,” he said removing his hand from the top of Sumire’s head, “We should get to class.”

Sumire nodded, her blush barely fading.

Akira had a certain group to stalk… -to follow again.

* * *

Come the end of school, Rem and everyone else found themselves back in Kamoshida’s Palace, stocked up and ready to steal his treasure.

“Okay, let’s go! Make sure to keep your guard up!” Morgana said as they moved to the final Safe Room and began making their way to the treasure through the throne room, the place devoid of guards and Kamoshida alike.

The four entered the room containing the treasure, Rem surprised to find what seemed to be a gigantic crown floating where the shimmering cloud of desire once was. “Aww yeeeeeaaaah! The Treasure has appeared!” Morgana cheered as he approached, the other three right on his heels.

“Man, it’s huge!” Ryuji let out as he gawked at the size of it.

“What do you think!? It’s just as I said! Now we can steal it!” Morgana smiled looking up at the Treasure almost longingly. “Ahh… this shine brings tears to my eyes…”

Rem gave Morgana a look. He was acting peculiar.

Ann gave the Treasure a long look “…It kinda pisses me off,” she said after a while of staring at the floating gleaming Treasure. “Why is it so pretty, isn’t this thing meant to be Kamoshida’s desires?”

It was only thanks to Rem noticing Morgana’s weird behaviour that she was able to snag the yellow handkerchief around his neck as he made a jump for the Treasure. “T-Treasure…” Morgana drooled with stars for eyes as he hung limply from Rem’s grasp, only staring up at the Treasure lovingly.

“Uh…. what’s up with Morgana?” Ryuji asked looking at Morgana who hung from Rem’s grasp.

“Is he broken?” Ann poked their resident monster-car for good measure eliciting no response from him.

“Meeeeoooooow! Mroooow!” Morgana began to make cat noise all the while staring at the Treasure.

Rem shook her head in disappointment as she hefted Morgana and began shaking him like a salt shaker. “This. Is. Not. Catnip,” she said with each solid shake.

“MROW?!”

“All right, that’s enough you stupid cat. Calm down already, will ya?” Ryuji shook his head, his words causing Morgana to freeze in Rem’s grip.

“Oh, um, yeah…” Morgana craned his head to looked back up at Rem, “You can let me go now, I’ll be good.” Rem proffered a raised brow in disbelief but let him slip back to the floor with a sheepish look on his face.

“Forgive me for showing such an insolent sight in front of the ladies,” Morgana simpered.

“You were completely out of character too. What was that about?” Ann asked wonderingly while Rem just ignored his words and looked at the Treasure.

“I don’t know… I couldn’t stop it either. To think I’d be drawn to human desires this much…” A troubled look crossed Morgana’s face before it morphed into one of delight. “…Wouldn’t this prove that I’m human!?”

“Ain’t that bit of a jump?” Ryuji asked with a shake of his head.

Rem snapped her fingers in front of the two of them, getting their attention. “You’re getting side-tracked. We have other things to take care of right now.”

“R-Right!”

“Sorry!”

The two of them snapped to salute almost comically as everyone turned their attention to the Treasure before them.

“A-Anyway, you guys need to carry it,” Morgana stated as he got his train of thought back on the right track.

“Man, all you do is bark orders for a cat…” Ryuji groaned as he moved over to the Treasure. “Still, that was easier than I thought- Ow! The hell was that for!” he winced grasping his elbow where Rem had pinched sharply even beneath his outfit.

“No jinxing us,” Rem said simply as she and Ann moved over to the other sides of the treasure and got a grip on it.

“His Palace will disappear of we take this right?” Ann asked as she looked up at the giant crown. “And Kamoshida will change with it…”

Ryuji and Morgana held their breath, both looking over at Rem who was staring at Ann intently.

“…That should be the case,” Morgana eventually said, the tense atmosphere that enveloped the room becoming slightly stifling for the two males.

“That’s fine by me then,” Ann nodded, the tense sensation disappearing as a small smile appeared on Rem’s face.

“Man, had me worried for a sec there you two,” Ryuji admitted as the three humans lifted the Treasure and began to crab-walk over to the doorway and down the stairs of the throne room from the treasury.

“Why is this so heavy? Isn’t it meant to be a manifestation of his desires? Why do desires even weigh this much?” Rem questioned with a slightly red face as they struggled to lift the Treasure and walk at the same time. She could feel her hands beginning to cramp.

“To think it’d go so well… I’ve even found three Persona-users in the process…” Morgana muttered to himself as he trailed behind the three and looking up at Rem. “My judgement was correct. I made the right choice in making a deal with you!”

Rem felt like her bond with Morgana was growing deeper…

**Magician Arcana – Rank 2!**

* * *

“Go, go! Let’s go! Ka-mo-shida!” a peppy feminine voice cheered the moment the four made their way to the middle of the throne room.

“Nngh!”

The three almost fell over as the crown was torn from their grasp from something impacting it forcefully. A black shadow passed over them as a familiar hairy figure wearing pink speedos and a pink-wool lined coat adorned with flowers landed before them.

Kamoshida’s shadow let out a sick grin as he held out his hand, his treasure rolling from its place on the floor before swiftly flying into his clasp having shrunk in size. A familiar scantily clad shadow of Ann ran up and clung to him.

Rem’s lip curled in disgust.

“I won’t let anyone take this!” Kamoshida’s shadow snarled at them, “This proves that I am the king of the castle – it is the core of this world!”

“That rat bastard…” Ann growled as she took in the shadow that looked remarkably like her, “That’s how he sees me, isn’t it!?”

“Even though you’ve done everything to stay away from him, he’s honestly that deluded,” Rem shook her head in revulsion.

“Yo, pervert. Were you waitin’ to ambush us?” Ryuji called out tauntingly.

“I just made it easy to find you,” Kamoshida’s Shadow responded with scorn. “I’ll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now.”

“That’s our line, you sexually-assaultin’ d-bag!” Ryuji stomped forward but was stopped by Rem outstretching an arm.

“What a selfish misunderstanding…” Kamoshida’s Shadow had the gall to look at them with pity, a derisive shake of his head as he looked down at them.

“How is it a misunderstanding!? You were doing things that you kept in secret from others!” Ann yelled in indignation, bubbling fury boiling in her chest.

“People around me were the one who kept it secret,” Kamoshida smirked. “Adults who want to share in my accomplishments, students who have the drive to become winners… they willingly protect me so that we all may profit from it.”

Ryuji and Morgana took a step back as a small area around Ann turned to ash, the red royal carpet blackening into soot from the rage that emanated from the blonde.

“So that’s it huh…? That’s the excuse you’re going to use even though you sexually assaulted Shiho!?” Ann shouted, Carmen springing to life as her mask dissolved, wild emotion tearing off her mask and bringing her Persona to life. “You really are a grade-A scumbag!”

If Kamoshida was intimidated, he didn’t show it. If anything, he only seemed to get even more uppity of himself. “Drop the attitude, you mediocre peasant! There’s nothing wrong with using my gifts for my gain!”

“There isn’t.”

Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana looked to Rem in shock who stood there with her hands in her pockets staring up at Kamoshida’s Shadow.

“Using your own gifts to help yourself makes sense after all…”

“See, that one there seems to get it-”

“But you didn’t use it for yourself. You hurt so many other people just because you didn’t like them,” Rem interrupted him as she languidly removed her hands from her pockets. “And none of us will be letting you continue, right everyone?”

“Right!”

“Tsk,” Kamoshida’s shadow clicked his tongue derisively. “I’m a cut above all other humans, what does it matter what you say to me?”

“’Above’? You mean beneath!” Ann corrected him angrily, “You’re a goddamn demon obsessed with your sick desires!”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say as a red light began to pool beneath the feet of Kamoshida’s Shadow as he chuckled menacingly.

 **“That’s right. I’m not like you…”** Shadow Kamoshida’s voice became distorted as he spoke, clutching the scantily-clad Ann close to his side. **“I am a demon who rules this world!”**

* * *

Akira watched from his perch high above the throne room, observing as Kamoshida’s Shadow turned into his Sinful Form. A six-armed deformed figure with a head larger than its torso, bulging yellow eyes and a set of ram horns that curled over a head of curly brown hair. Sitting between the two horns atop his head was the Treasure of the palace.

“Suguru Asmodeus Kamoshida… the demon of lust,” he mused as he watched the fight begin in earnest.

The four began to attack the demon of lust.

It was evident this time around that Ann was barely able capable of keeping herself focused, her emotions heavily influencing a Persona that wielded fire. Anywhere she stepped turned the carpet around her to soot and ash, it was stunning that with the anger leaking out of her that she hadn’t burned Rem or Ryuji who were beside her.

 **“You goddamn, no-good, shitty brats! Haven’t you been taught not to point at people!? Huh!?”** Asmodeus crowed with his distorted voice.

He watched as Kamoshida’s minions sent a wave of volleyballs at Ryuji, pelting him with cognitive sports balls. It wouldn’t harm him too much, but it would tire him out.

It was interesting to see them fight, specifically Rem. Her weapon turned out to be a set of twin chain-nails that she seemed to use with a surprising amount of efficiency. Add to that her Persona, Selina, she was certainly a force to be reckoned with never mind her status as a Trickster.

A small conflagration of flames burst from Carmen as Ann tore off her mask, sending a wave of Agilao at Asmodeus burning it, a wave of darkness, thunder, and cutting wind following suit as the other joined in.

Akira quietly watched while he pulled out Tyrant Pistol, and from the pocket of his duster withdrew a custom-made silencer that had taken him four hours to craft.

Rem backflipped over a swing by Kamoshida’s baton but was quickly smacked down as the arm holding a fork smashed into her. She shook it off with a slight wince but quickly got back into the fray sending wave after wave of Eiha’s at Asmodeus.

Off to the side, Morgana was playing support and healing the group alongside Panther whenever she would remember between sending balls of fire at Asmodeus while Ryuji was using a combination of lightning and his shotgun to damage him.

This continued for a solid while, the group slowly whittling down Asmodeus’ health. Rem switched between Selina, Berith, Jack Frost, and the weird cat thing with the scimitar and boots as she fought but it was quickly becoming evident that the group was on the losing side.

Akira smirked as he focused on the golden trophy directly in front of Asmodeus, an arm wielding a golden fork inching towards it. Extending his arm and taking aim, he fired. The sound that left the Tyrant Pistol was akin to the flap of a butterfly’s wings, light and silent. Over the din of battle, it was unheard.

The bullet flew through the air so quickly that all anyone would see was the cup suddenly shattering from some unseen force. Akira grinned as he watched the fight continue, no one the wiser since he’d timed it perfectly. As far as anyone was concerned, one of Ryuji’s attacks had missed and had hit the cup.

It wouldn’t do much in the long run, but it would at least prevent Asmodeus from regenerating his wounds. For now, the rest would be up to them.

 **“Ack!”** Asmodeus slumped over, looking at the now broken trophy. **“No way… This was from when I won the national…”**

“Huh, maybe you actually can do something right Skull!” Morgan stated as the four rushed Kamoshida, holding him up at gunpoint.

 **“You think that you can get away with doing such a thing? Do you realise who I am!?”** Asmodeus roared as he stared down at them, two eyes looking in different directions. **“I am Kamoshida, don’t you get it!?”**

The hall fell silent as he looked down at Rem.

“What you are is scum,” Rem spat out in disgust as she looked up at the purple demon.

“Mmmm... four out of ten in terms of one-liners,” Akira rated as he sat back down in the rafters, “Ten out of ten in terms of truth, however.”

 **“You dare?! I’m the goddamn king of this castle!”** Asmodeus shouted, but it would soon cease to matter as the group went for an all-out attack, jumping and hitting him from different directions, wounds quickly accumulating on his body as they landed back on the ground.

 **“How dare you keep defying me… Looks like I gotta bring out the big guns!”** Asmodeus snarled causing Akira to lean forward in interest. He didn’t recall this last time. **“Slaves! Bring over you-know-what!”**

Akira watched as the tiny little orange slaves with the metal bullet-like heads scurried off, their chains detaching from the golden ball at Asmodeus’s feet. **“Time for my kill shot from when I was active and rockin’ it! Kill shot… as in I’ll make the kill!”**

There was a brief period of emptiness when nothing happened, Rem and the others continuing to unload physical attacks into Kamoshida and saving up their energy.

 **“What’s the holdup? Where’s my ball!?”** Asmodeus bellowed.

A figure scurried forward with a volleyball in hand.

“I’m so sorry, King Kamoshida! I-I have it right here!” the figure proffered the ball high above him.

 **“Too slow Mishima, worthless chump!”** Asmodeus said dismissively **“Good, Mishima – now pass it to me! Don’t tell me you can’t even do something as simple as that!”**

Akira legs clamped on the beam beneath him the moment he saw Mishima. He was right to do so as seconds later Sandalphon tried to force his way to the surface. “Grrrr… no!” he whisper-shouted as his hand flew to his mask and kept it in place the other keeping his balance on the beam beneath him, “He’s not our Mishima!”

Even then his words were barely enough to placate the Angel of Mercy and twin of Metatron. He huffed in exhaustion, the effort of fighting a piece of himself taking a lot out of him. Akira leaned back as the cognitive version of Mishima sent the volleyball in his hand hurtling into the air, Asmodeus leaping after it and slamming it down with enough power to create a small explosion, heavily injuring the team.

Akira’s hand flew up to his face once more, physically holding back Ishtar, Chi You, and Futsunushi as they lurched momentarily at watching Ann, Ryuji and Morgana respectively come to harm. He was quickly realising that maybe watching them fight was a bad idea, he was getting mentally exhausted just by holding his Personas at bay.

 **“Tch, I knew I couldn’t go all out with Mishima providing the backup. Hey, shit-for-brains! Get off my court!”** Asmodeus ordered, Mishima quickly scurrying out of sight.

Akira felt as Sandalphon skirted the edges of his mind, not manifesting but roiling beneath the surface of the Sea of Souls wishing to be called upon.

 **“Next slave, get out here! Hurry up with my damn ball!”** Asmodeus ordered once more, a slap of his riding crop slammed against the floor.

Akira felt his lip turn downward in revulsion and down below it seemed he wasn’t the only one as he witnessed a sexy bunny suit-wearing cognitive version of Shiho make her way into the throne room, a volleyball in hand. Ishtar joined Sandalphon, feminine fury growing as the Lover’s Arcana writhed.

“King Kamoshida, I’ve brought you your ball, just like you asked,” Cognitive Shiho said demurely.

 **“Now there’s a good girl, Suzui,”** Asmodeus purred with a perverted grin, his large tongue lolling around outside of his mouth while both of his bulging eyes focused on the scantily-clad black-head. **“Yeah, all women should obey my orders like this – ain’t that right, sweetheart?”**

“You bastard… after everything you’ve done to Shiho…” Ann growled, smoke curling from Carmen as she looked at the Cognitive version of Shiho.

“Dammit, even Suzui too! You’ve gone too far, you piece of shit!” Ryuji cursed at Asmodeus far below him.

 **“…Ah, I get it! You want to see my kill shot again, don’t you?”** asked Asmodeus as he began to ready up another kill shot.

“What do we do?” Morgana looked at Rem for orders.

Rem pointed a chain-nail at Shiho. “Focus on the fake Shiho.”

Akira watched, surprised as the team began to attack the cognitive Shiho. Rem and Ryuji using Selina and Captain Kidd to send physical attacks hurtling towards Shiho while Ann and Morgana attacked with their whip and sabre respectively. The Cognitive Shiho crumbled into black dust being weak to physical attacks, dissipating from the battlefield.

 **“Hmm, even Suzui was useless. Looks like I’ll have to give her some special instructions later… One-on-one!”** the demon of lust said with a lecherous leer to his voice.

“Kamoshida, you asshole… burn!” Ann yelled, wave after wave of Agilao’s being sent recklessly towards Asmodeus.

While she was doing that, Rem quickly ordered Morgana to ascend a nearby pillar and go for Asmodeus’ Treasure atop his head. Rem and Ryuji began to support Ann’s reckless attack in order to divert Asmodeus’s attention from Morgana who scurried over to the pillar and began to climb.

 **“What’s the matter slave, hurry up and bring more some more volleyballs! I can’t serve up my kill shot without any balls!”** Asmodeus looked around, only to quickly realise that no one was coming to help him. **“Huh!? Did I just… Am I really out of slaves!?”**

Rem began to play healer of the group, bringing Pixie forth while Ryuji became support, increasing Ann’s literal firepower with a Tarukaja before sending bolts of lightning towards Asmodeus.

**“Argh, you brats! The only reason this school exists is because I’m around. You’re the only ones that don’t respect me, you know! You and that transfer brat!”**

Morgana continued making his way up the pillar. Ann, on the other hand, quickly grew fatigued from having used her Persona so much, switching over to her whip and sending slicing strikes at Asmodeus.

Akira smirked at that. It seemed he’d made an impression in the morning.

 **“You’re misunderstanding it all! I haven’t sexually harassed anyone!”** Asmodeus refuted. **“They came on to me because they wanted to get on my good side!”**

“Sh-Shut it you bastard!” Ann shouted, exhausted but angry, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. “I saw the x-rays! The fractures! You raped Shiho!”

The fight came to a sudden end as Akira watched Morgana leap from the banister of the throne room over Asmodeus’ head, swiping the Treasure from between his horns in an impressive feat of acrobatics. The treasure cluttered to the ground as Asmodeus flailed petulantly, the sinful demon of lust dissolving without the core of this Palace sustaining him.

 **“Noo! My… my precious…”** he slumped over dejected.

“Carmen!” Ann stood on shaky feet, her already exhausted mind teetering on the brink as she summoned her Persona once more. One final wave burnt Kamoshida’s sinful form to a crisp, leaving Shadow Kamoshida in its place.

* * *

The giant crown that tumbled to the floor after Morgana swiped it from Asmodeus’ head glowed for a moment, before shrinking.

Akira watched as Rem began walking towards it with Ryuji beside her. A hairy form rolled over the crown, grasping it to his chest as Kamoshida scurried around in his own throne room.

“Ah!” Ryuji shouted in surprise as the group chased after him, his scurrying leading him to a nearby balcony that only led to a long drop to the bottom of the palace.

“Nngh!” Kamoshida whimpered as he looked for a way to escape.

“What’s wrong… not going to run away?” Ann stalked forward slowly, Carmen forming behind her.

Akira’s Tyrant Pistol was in his hand faster than he could think, trailed on Kamoshida’s head. “Don’t do this, Ann… it isn’t worth it…” he whispered as he watched Ann continue to stalk forward, his finger hovering over the trigger.

“Dammit!” Akira quietly cursed as he remembered that Kamoshida wasn’t meant to die. If he died, Ruin was inevitable. Ishtar screeched in his mind as the Tyrant Pistol was aimed at Ann. At least her calf. It would hurt but she’d live.

“Why don’t you run? Aren’t you a great athlete?” she taunted as she moved closer and closer.

“It’s always been like this… all those goddamn hyenas forcing their expectation on me!” Kamoshida’s Shadow shouted. “I’m doing this all for them! What’s wrong with demanding a reward for that!?”

“Now you’re makin’ up even more excuses? We’ll be doing something about that distorted heart of yours…” Ryuji said shaking his head. To his side, Rem quickly rushed forward and held Ann back from taking another step towards Kamoshida.

“Hrrk…” Kamoshida whined.

“Scared? Right now, you’re seeing the same view Shiho did…” Ann asked as she shook Rem off, Carmen preventing her from moving forward. “I’m sure she was scared too… except she had no choice to jump… someone came to save her… but will anyone come for you?”

She stood a small distance away but stared Kamoshida down. “What will you do? Will you jump? Or would you rather die here?” she asked, eyes narrowed.

“Don’t do this Ann…” Akira whispered, his aims sighted on Ann, the Persona of the Lover’s Arcana revolting in a near blinding migraine. Even then, he pushed on. He couldn’t allow Kamoshida to die here.

Balls of flames erupted in Carmen’s grasp.

“Do you want to finish him off? It’s your call,” Morgana said, Ryuji holding Rem back whispering into her ear.

“Believe in her, okay?” Ryuji muttered. He slowly let Rem go, their leader looking at Ann and Carmen in hesitation.

“Come on Ann… you’re better than this…” Akira muttered from his perch, hoping that things would go just like it had in his own, the current event near identical to his world. The contingency was in place if it didn’t, his finger hovering, twitching over the trigger.

“No please no! Just forgive meee!” Kamoshida pleaded in the face of death.

“Shut up. I bet everyone told you the same,” Ann snarled and hurled a fireball forward. “But you took everything from them.”

Kamoshida’s Shadow screeched in fear as the fireball impacted just beside his head. “I-I accept defeat… Do you want this? Take it,” he said throwing the Treasure towards Rem who caught it. “Go ahead and finish me of… you do that… and my real self will go down too. You have that right since you’ve won…”

Akira saw Ann’s hand clench, her other arm raised forward sending another fireball hurtling towards Shadow Kamoshida.

“Ann!” Rem yelled.

**BOOM!**

The floor beside Kamoshida exploded into marble dust.

With the tinkle of broken glass, blue flames erupted over Ann’s face as her mask reappeared. “If his mind shuts down, he can’t admit to his crimes,” Ann's lips curled in scorn as she spoke.

“I’ve lost. You’re through when you lose…” Shadow Kamoshida slumped to the ground, “What am I- What am I supposed to do now?”

“Atone for your sins,” Rem said, placing a hand on Ann’s shoulder and giving her a comforting squeeze.

Kamoshida looked at them. “All right… I will leave now and return to my real self… I’ll make certain that I-” he whispered, his body glowing with light before vanishing cutting himself off.

The Palace began to shudder with tremors, the lack of a core to sustain causing it to crumble

“We need to get going now!” Morgana advised, the group nodding before running off.

None of them noticed the bullet hole just left of where Ann’s feet had been.

With a shaky hand, Akira lowered the Tyrant Pistol, wisps of smoke wafting from the barrel as he slumped over in the rafters. A wave of relief flew through him. He’d been so afraid the Ann might have actually been tried to kill Kamoshida that he pulled the trigger.

He grasped his mask and pulled.

Ishtar silently appeared, looking down at him.

“…Thank you,” he said. It was thanks to the Ultimate of the Lovers Arcana that he’d missed. His Persona gave him a silent nod and a smile before coalescing back into his mask.

Grasping his pendant, Akira disappeared from the crumbling Palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fucking finally… I hate boss fights I’ve realised. Tell me how you found it though. Do you want more from Akira’s perspective, one from Rem’s perspective? 
> 
> Also, let me know if you find any mistakes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we are folks with Chapter 13, WOOOT! Never thought I’d make it this far. Had a problem today with Microsoft Word no longer working so had to spend an hour trying to fix it before I could write again.
> 
> Surprising amount of people wanted more of Akira POV so here we are folks, with a more Akira-centric POV. The more we progress through the story though I’ll probably end up switching between Rem and Akira’s POV more and more.
> 
> Edit: Took a nap so will probably have this done in like a day
> 
> Second Edit: It’s 8:33 PM Australia Sydney, did like 3.3k and stopped to go sleep. I came back literally five minutes later because my muse was like “Asshole, you gotta finish this and post it!”. My muse vs my sleep schedule. My muse will always win.
> 
> Third edit: So, this actually took longer than I expected so had to cut it off, and leave the Mementos section for the next chapter. Still surprised I made it this far.
> 
> Fourth Edit: Finished the chapter at 9:09 PM because priorities.

Akira never knew how absolutely boring waiting could be as he checked the date on his phone as he sat in his desk for homeroom, superstitiously ignoring the cracked plaster to the side of his desk.

5/2

It had been nine days since he’d followed the newly dubbed Phantom Thieves into Kamoshida’s Palace and observed as they stole his Treasure. The worst part was that even though he knew that Kamoshida was going to confess, it didn’t stop him from feeling a certain amount of stress even though he knew how everything was going to play out.

At least he knew today Kamoshida would be making his confession.

**Ker-click!**

Akira looked up as the sound of the PA speakers whirred to life.

**_“This is Principal Kobayakawa speaking. This is a message to all students and teachers that there will be a morning assembly replacing first period. Thank you.”_ **

Homeroom fell silent as Miss Kawakami and students alike just looked at the PA speaker in confusion. Suddenly the homeroom class erupted into a cacophony of noise.

“What was that about?”

“A morning assembly?”

Akira’s noticed Rem and Ann give worried glances to each other.

“Quiet!” Miss Kawakami yelled, slamming her customary sheaf of documents onto the podium with a bang. She let out a sigh as the students eventually calmed down somewhat.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but instead of going to your first-period class. We’ll all be heading to the Hall, understood?” she questioned, looking at the homeroom of 2-D.

* * *

Akira stood closer to the walls as he watched students flow into the hall, slowly trickling in for a school-wide assembly. He listened as students began to mutter.

“What’s with the sudden morning assembly?”

“I bet it’s about that girl that jumped the other day.”

“They don’t have to tell us not to commit suicide.”

“There was that weird calling card too, so I guess the teachers are freaking out?”

“We’re lucky that morning practice got canceled though.”

“I feel like I’m going to faint if this takes forever.”

He felt a presence saddle beside him and lean on the wall. “Hey Sumire,” he said without bothering to look, in the peripheral of his vision he was able to see the familiar crimson-red strands of Sumire’s hair.

“Good morning Akira-senpai,” she greeted with a bow before standing beside him. “Do you know what the morning assembly is about?”

Akira shrugged, his eyes trained as Principal Kobayakawa revealed himself and moved up towards the podium. “I think we’ll be finding out soon enough,” he murmured just loud enough for her to hear before Kobayakawa tapped on the microphone, a small electronic whine echoing around the hall as students quietened down.

“Let’s begin this school-wide morning assembly. As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day,” Kobayakawa began. “Thankfully, we have been informed that she shall make a full recovery thanks to the actions of another student, however, it will be some time until she recovers.”

Akira felt some eyes fall on him after Kobayakawa’s statement.

“Everyone here has a bright future ahead. I implore that you rethink the importance of life and-”

The door to the gymnasium hall squeaked open during the middle of Principal Kobayakawa’s speech. Akira silently pulled out his phone and made a call.

“Akira? Is something wrong-?” Goro’s voice asked over the phone before Akira cut him off.

“Just record this and listen…” he said before directing the microphone to the front of the hall. Even with how wide the hall was, with the silence Goro should be able to hear what was going to come.

“Akira-senpai?” Sumire asked looking at him, tilting her head to the side looking at him quizzically but he just silently placed a finger to his lips, miming silence.

Kobayakawa looked at the gymnasium exit stunned as he found the teacher that had placed himself under suspension back inside school grounds. “Mr. Kamoshida, what’s the-”

“I… have been reborn,” Kamoshida said with a downcast face, his voice halting, wracked with guilt. “That is why I will confess everything to you all,” he said walking slowly to the stairs and up to the gymnasium podium.

“What’s wrong with Mr. Kamoshida?”

“What’s this about?”

“Did the volleyball team to something?”

Akira watched as Kamoshida stood in full view of both the student body and teachers alike, students questioning and muttering about what could possibly be happening.

“I… have repeatedly done things that were… unbecoming of a teacher,” Kamoshida began. “Verbally abusing students… physically abusing my team, and… sexually harassing female students.”

He looked out at the students, guilt and self-disdain in his eyes. “I am the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!” he admitted before collapsing to his knees, sobs wracking his body.

“Sexual harassment?”

“Wha-?”

“Why would he say something like that!?”

“The volleyball team? Really?

“Ugh, he’s the worst!”

“Physical abuse!?”

Akira felt Sumire tense beside him. “Akira-senpai… d-does this have something to do with that calling card earlier this week?” she whispered quietly beside him, barely audible over the sudden chatter of students.

“It’s… possible,” Akira inclined his head for a moment before giving a half-lie. He knew, but it’d be suspicious if he outright said it, especially since he was already being stupid and giving Goro damning evidence of changing hearts.

“I thought of this school as my own castle…” Kamoshida continued through his body-shaking sobs. “There were even students that I sentenced to expulsion, simply because I didn’t like them…” he said, “I will, of course, rescind those. I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts…”

Akira watched as students near the front took some steps back, reviling the man they previously placed on a pedestal. “I am an arrogant, shallow… and shameful person. No… I’m worse than that…” he said before shaking his head.

His forehead slammed into the hardwood flooring of the stage, his hands splayed in front of his head in a display of dogeza. “...I will take responsibility and kill myself for it!” he shouted full of shame and conviction.

“What?!”

“What did he just say?!”

“Wait, kill himself?!”

A teacher off to the side noticed the panic and began trying to play crowd-control. “Umm... Mr. Kamoshida is... erm… not feeling well!”

Principal Kobayakawa joined in, trying to prevent the reputation of the school form sinking form such a public display of self-admission. “Mr. Kamoshida! Please get off the stage for now!” he pleaded only for it to prove futile.

“Everyone, return to your classes!” a teacher in a suit ordered trying to usher students out of the hall but failing to do so.

“I-” Kamoshida shuddered causing a silence to befall the room.

“Don’t run, you bastard!” a feminine voice called out, full of anger. The sudden noise in the now quiet room caused all eyes to fall on Ann. “Shiho’s still alive even after all the things that made her want to die! You have no right to run from this!” her voice full of anguish echoed through the hall.

“Takamaki-senpai…” Sumire muttered looking at the blonde far ahead of them.

“You’re right… you’re absolutely right…” Kamoshida nodded, looking up from his position on the floor at Ann. “I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes…”

He looked at the student body. “I did horrible things to Takamaki-san, as well…” he admitted. “In return for giving Suzui-san a position on the volleyball team… I.. I tried to force her into having a relationship with me.”

“Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

“For a position on the team?”

“I feel so bad for Takamaki-san…”

“So, the rumors weren’t true…”

But Kamoshida didn’t stop there.

“Not only that… I was the one that leaked the criminal records of Amamiya-san all because I wanted to ruin her school life… I was the one that ordered students to spread despicable rumors about her…” he continued. “I ordered students to lie about her and make her an outcast. When she found out and tried to stop me... I threatened her with expulsion..”

“As of today…” he looked at everyone, “I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in.” His sobbing began anew as he looked around pleadingly, “Someone, please call the police!”

“The police?”

“Is he for real?”

“This morning’s assembly is over! Return to your classes immediately!” the teacher in a suit ordered the mulling students, looking at the now-former PE instructor in shock.

“You get all of that?” Akira asked as he brought his phone back to his ear. Strangely he heard the sound of lots of shuffling, along with orders being shouted. He heard Goro give an exasperated sigh over the line.

“Congratulations Akira, not only did I hear but also the entirety of the Shibuya Precinct,” Goro said to which Akira could already see him pinching his nose. “My phone was on loud-speaker when you called so everyone around me heard about it. My superiors are already ordering me to get on the case.”

“Whoops,” Akira let out unabashed, a small grin on his face.

“Yes… whoops. You single-handedly have sent my precinct running around like headless chickens since some of my colleagues have students that attend Shujin and were largely unaware of Kamoshida,” Goro replied with a groan. “You can expect your school to be swarmed by police in the next half-hour… do you even understand how much paperwork I’m going to have to file?!”

Akira shrugged. “Things have been quiet since the last metal shutdown case, at least now you’ll have something to do.”

“…I hate you.” was Goro’s almost acerbic reply but with just a small undertone of fondness.

“Love you too. I’ll treat you out once this is all done,” Akira felt a shit-eating grin worm its way onto his face.

“I’m holding you to that… take care, Akira.”

“You too Goro,” he said before taking the phone away with a click. He noticed Sumire’s questioning look that had appeared on her face, along with a slight scrunching of her eyebrows when he’d said to Goro ‘Love you too’.

“That was Goro. He said that the Police heard the whole thing so they’ll be coming within the hour,” he explained, the slight scrunching of Sumire’s brows easing as she realized it was only his housemate.

“Ah… um… Akira-senpai? Why did you call Akechi-san the moment Kamoshida-san entered?” she asked curiously as he stowed away his phone. Akira just shrugged his shoulders.

“Call it a gut feeling… hasn’t led me wrong yet,” he replied with an air of nonchalance. “Goro was already investigating Kamoshida and the guy seemed like he was looking guilty. Figured something was going to happen,” he explained/lied in the most plausible way possible.

“Oh! I’m surprised you could tell so quickly,” Sumire gushed before a small look of consternation appeared, marring her features. “…Does this mean those Phantom Thieves of Hearts that sent Kamoshida-san a calling card did something? What do you think about them?”

Akira looked at her, mulling over his words carefully.

“I think… I think that’s something you need to decide for yourself,” he evaded. He didn’t want to make himself seem biased so he decided to avoid the question entirely.

Sumire seemed satisfied with that response.

It seemed, however, that other student had overheard their conversation and began muttering to the students around them.

“Isn’t this just like what the calling card said?”

“Does this mean the Phantom Thieves thing was for real!?”

“Was something done to Kamoshida?!”

“C’ mon, there’s no way you can steal someone’s heart!”

“But why else would he start saying things like he’ll kill himself or turn himself in?”

“Maybe because it almost got leaked? Don’t they go easier on you if you turn yourself in?”

“But didn’t he say he was gonna kill himself? If Takamaki hadn’t said something he might have done that!”

“I wonder what happened…”

“Who knows? But man, Kamoshida turned out to be one sick bastard.”

“Hey is this for real? He’s turning himself in just like that?”

“What going to happen to the volleyball team?”

“This is going to turn into a big scandal…”

Soon the hall was turned into a cacophony of speculations and rumours, Akira watching from the sidelines as everything unfolded. “Return to your classrooms at once!” the teacher in a suit order once more, students actually listening and the gymnasium hall emptied in a matter of minutes.

“C’mon… let’s get back to class,” Akira said as he stood up from his place against the wall. Sumire nodded walking beside him back to their respective classes.

Now it was time to get ready to teach some thieves…

Wait… Akira shook his head. There were still the holidays to look towards.

* * *

“Good morning Sakura-san,” Akira greeted with a small groan as he sat in his customary seat at the counter of Leblanc the following morning in heavy need of his coffee fix. “Can I get something not too rich? And some curry to start off the day?” he ordered.

“Brat, I don’t know how you still stay in shape with how much coffee and curry you eat here,” Sojiro shook his head at him but nonetheless began to meticulously brew some coffee. “I swear, you’re here every other day.”

“Like I’ve said, there’s no place near here that sells curry and coffee actually worth their price,” Akira grinned at Sojiro. before giving him a stern look. “Also, didn’t I tell you to actually call me by my name?”

Sojiro paused in his steps before giving a faux-suffering sigh. “It seemed like you’d forgotten so I was hoping you wouldn’t remember… oh well, can’t say I’m too surprised you remembered,” he muttered before quickly finishing up the coffee and served it.

“Here, see if you can figure out what blend this is. I’m trying a new blend and I figured you’re probably the best person to try this on,” he placed the cup of coffee and saucer down with a clink in front of Akira.

Akira rose a brow as he looked down at the murky cup of coffee. Taking an experimental sniff he realized it wasn’t one that he was all too familiar with. He took an experimental sip before his eyes bulged as he almost spat it back out in surprise but forced down the urge and instead savoured it.

“Well, that’s one hell of a reaction if I’ve ever seen one,” Sojiro scratched the back of his head as he watched Akira gulp down the sip before giving him a scathing look.

“You could have at least warned me!” Akira complained as he finally registered exactly what blend he was drinking. He remembered Haru had once given him some when she was experimenting coffee beans and strains, and which type to grow when she opened a café. He looked at the murky brown coffee in an entirely new light. “Since when have you had Black Ivory Coffee beans?” Akira asked Sojiro as he took another whiff of the coffee, savouring the robust scent.

Sojiro almost seemed proud as he pulled out a small bag half the size of a basketball. “You’ve been single-handedly keeping my business running so I figured why not splurge a bit?” the middle-aged owner grinned, as he placed the small bag in a container and locked it. “Figured you should be the first to try it.”

“Thanks… Sojiro,” Akira allowed a small smile to grace his features at the gesture.

“No worries. You always end up overpaying so I figured I’d save up here and there and get you something a little special,” Sojiro smirked before it dropped slightly as he looked at the ceiling then at his watch.

“It’s almost nine… don’t tell me she’s going to sleep the day away?” Sojiro groused before cupping his hands over his mouth to yell. “Hey, kid, you gonna be up anytime soon?” he yelled, his words causing a smattering of light cursing to come from the attic and the sound of movement following soon after.

Akira could hear as Rem began to get up and get ready for the day. “It’s the holidays you know,” Akira said as he took a small sip of the stupidly expensive elephant poop coffee, “Couldn’t hurt to let her sleep in.”

Sojiro shook his head and looked at Akira with lidded eyes. “If I let her sleep in, who knows when she’ll wake up? Besides, I’ll need some extra hands around the place.”

Akira just rose a brow and made a very exaggerated glance around the empty café which was duly ignored by Sojiro as he cupped his hands around his mouth once more. “You don’t have plans, do you? Come help me out, instead of sleeping your life away,” he said.

After a couple of minutes, Akira saw Rem stumble down the stairs akin to a zombie, dressed in a light blouse with a black jacket over the top, a pair of jeans and calf-high sturdy but feminine boots of her feet. Her hair was in its typical braid but it was more than obvious that she had just woken up. Over her shoulder was a shoulder bag.

“Geez kid, you look like hell,” Sojiro commented as he took in Rem’s groggy appearance and shook his head. “Pull up a seat, I’ll make you some breakfast,” he said before making another cup, something that Akira didn’t fail to notice as he made some using the same Black Ivory strain he’d served him. Every now and then, he’d move over to the stove and take a look at the curry which was still cooking.

“Morning Amamiya-san,” Akira greeted as he looked at his fellow Trickster, grey eyes meeting groggy red.

“M-Morning Kurusu-san…” Rem yawned, barely covering her mouth as she did so before taking a large inhale of the distinct smell of brewed coffee and cooking curry. From her bag, a familiar furry cat with blue-eyes popped it’s head out before looking at Akira in surprise.

“Wait… Kurusu-san?!” Rem asked in a panic as she realized that there was someone else in the store. She made a motion to quickly shove Morgana back into her bag but Akira stopped her.

“Don’t worry, it's okay,” he said as have moved a hand beneath Morgana’s chin and began to lightly scratch him. “I noticed him in class so I don’t really mind. He seems well behaved.”

“Mmmm just a little higher,” Morgana closed his eyes in bliss at the attention he was receiving. Akira gave a small smile as he did just that, Morgana’s right ear flopping over as he did so.

“Dammit kid, I told you not to let him out while there are customers,” Sojiro gave Rem a stink eye as he served the expensive coffee before sighing as he watched Akira scratch Morgana beneath his chin. “But if Akira’s fine with it… then I guess he can come out, but only with him. If it’s any other customer, he has to stay upstairs, got it?”

Rem gave him a quick nod of understanding. Satisfied, Sojiro served the coffee but not before giving Rem some instructions. “Don’t drink it immediately. Savour it. It’s some damn good coffee and I don’t want you downing the whole thing in one go,” he advised as he moved over to the coffee and gave it a stir.

Rem looked at Sojiro curiously but did as he asked. Akira watched quietly for the next couple of minutes as she savoured it and sipped it, the robust nature of the coffee quickly changing her from a zombie-like state to more of a functioning human being with a slightly messy braid.

He watched as Rem placed the cup down empty and swallowed the coffee before he decided to open his mouth.

“That coffee blend was made with coffee beans cultivated by elephant poop,” he said casually drinking from his, taking great amusement as Rem looked at him with dawning horror and began to gag lightly. She gave him and Sojiro a dirty look as they laughed.

“You couldn’t have told me earlier?” she hissed as Sojiro gave her a glass of water, drinking the whole thing in one go before glaring petulantly at Akira.

“It’s the best coffee in the world, why would I stop you from drinking it?” Akira grinned unabashed at Rem’s grimace, still trying to get the thought of elephant poop coffee out of her mind.

Sojiro quirked a brow at her as he placed two plates of curry before the two. “If that’s how you’re going to act when I give you coffee, I’ll make sure to save the good stuff for him,” he said bluntly, “Orders up.”

“He’s a big softie inside, don’t worry,” Akira whispered exaggeratedly as he accepted the curry, Rem accepting the other while Sojiro shook his head at the two of them.

“Itadakimasu,” the two clapped their hands together before they dug into their morning meal.

Sojiro looked at Akira questioningly before looking down at the curry. He stopped for a moment to take into the flavours, before answering Sojiro’s unasked question. “Nutmeg… and clove… strange combination outside of garam masala but you made it work somehow,” Akira answered before he continued eating.

“You can tell just from tasting it?” Rem asked as she took another bite, this time able to taste the spices Akira had mentioned if she savoured it carefully.

“Akira’s been eating here for the past two years,” Sojiro shook his head as he began to clean his cooking utensils. “It’s become a game between the two of us,” he muttered absent-mindedly.

Rem gave Sojiro a strange look as she noticed the tension in Sojiro’s body seemingly leak away. She hadn’t noticed until now, but his shoulders always seemed to be tight with the exception of when her classmate was around.

Speaking of her classmate.

“How’re your injuries, Kurusu-san?” Rem asked as she looked at him. He didn’t seem to be all that worse for wear compared to when she’d seen him at the bottom of the school courtyard. Before he had severe bruising and could barely walk without grimacing but over the course of the last few weeks, she’d noticed that he seemed to be perfectly fine.

Akira shrugged. “Healed correctly for the most part but I’m still being advised not to get into any more accidents. Doctor Hisegawa said he’d be frustrated if he saw me in the hospital again anytime this month outside of check-ups,” he said as he finished his curry.

He looked at her as he placed his spoon down, “Also you don’t need to keep referring to me as Kurusu-san. You can call me Akira if you’d like.”

Rem paused for a moment as she considered it. “…So long as you call me Rem,” she said eventually. He seemed like a good person so it couldn’t hurt. She was slightly surprised that she didn’t hear the familiar sound of chains breaking nor a mystical voice in her head but she shrugged it off. Quickly, she finished off her curry with a satisfied sigh.

With food in her stomach and elephant poop coffee in her system, she was ready to face the day and sell some ill-gotten goods. She was quickly stopped by Sojiro.

“Ah-ah, clean up the dishes,” Sojiro looked at her while nodding down at the dishes before the tow of them. “You should help out every now and then.”

“We do owe it to him…” Akira heard Morgana say from his spot on the chair beside Rem, but refrained from looking. “…We’ll just have to wait for the moment on selling the medal. Hurry up and help him out for now.”

Rem nodded at Morgana’s advice and was more than willing to help out even if he’d hadn’t said anything, it would’ve felt rude of her not to. Sojiro and Rem traded spots, with Rem taking the dishes over to the sink while Sojiro took a seat next to Akira, a hand running over the top of Morgana’s head as he passed the cat by.

“Sorry I kinda pressured you into doing this,” he apologized to Rem a small smirk on his face.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s the least I could do,” Rem shook her head but the TV blared to life causing the four occupants of the café to look over at the newscaster. Akira watched as the news covered Kamoshida’s fall from grace.

“Wait a minute… isn’t this Shujin?” Sojiro asked in surprise as he recognized the teacher on the news.

“Mhmm…” Akira nodded as they continued to watch. “Turns out he was the one that had spread the information about Rem’s criminal records,” Akira said his eyes trained on the television atop the chest fridge.

Rem narrowed her eyes as she noticed Sojiro stunned. “He’s also the reason why you were injured. He sexually assaulted Shiho and caused her to attempt suicide,” she deflected.

Sojiro’s eyes moved between the two of them before letting out a sigh. “So, this guy’s the reason behind everything that’s been happening at Shujin, huh?” he muttered. “Well, I’m glad that he’s in police custody now…”

He looked up at Rem. “I know things might be getting rough a school, but keep your head down, alright?” he said sternly, acting as a father-figure.

“Don’t worry, she hasn’t done anything,” Akira defended her, “Outside of Kamoshida stirring trouble she’s been keeping herself out of the way. She’s even made a few friends.”

Rem looked at Akira, shocked that he’d bothered defending her. Sojiro was surprised as well. “You know, now that I think about it, you’ve never had a problem with her even with all the rumours that’ve been going around… why is that?” Sojiro asked curiously, scratching at the beard on his chin.

Rem and Sojiro watched as Akira shrugged. “Well… you’ve always had a good head on your shoulders. If you haven’t kicked her out yet, I figured I’d make my own decisions rather than listening to what others say.”

Sojiro seemed taken aback but gave him a warm smile, “A good head on my shoulders huh….” he muttered before looking to Rem. “There aren’t many at your school that actually use their brains… if you can find friends like him, keep them close, you hear?” he said quirking his head to Akira as he gave her some solid advice.

Rem nodded quietly, looking at Akira in a new light.

“Hey, keep those hands moving!” Sojiro barked lightly as she slowed down. “I have some other things I’ll need your help with later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it seems that the comments I wake up to after I post a chapter give me renewed energy to write and keep my muse running, so continue commenting! Please let me know if I made and mistake or errors and I’ll go back and fix them up.
> 
> I was gonna add Mementos but the Leblanc scene just got way out of hand and it just kept going and going that I’ll have to do Mementos next chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are with the fourteenth chapter ladies and gentleman. Let’s see how fast I can continue pumping out chapters! Of course, I started this directly after posting Chapter 13 so it should come out the following day.
> 
> Edit: Maybe not, quickly realised I have severe eye strain and should take it easy for a few hours.
> 
> Second Edit: I’m back to writing
> 
> NOTE: Forgot to mention this before, but the black mask that Akira wears is the one from his Shadow Operative DLC. The black one with red lenses. His uniform is basically the Shadow Operative mask, the Kazuma Kiryuu hairstyle from Persona 5 Starlight, and his black clothes.

“Well… this place is creepy,” Rem muttered as the newly-dubbed Phantom Thieves of Hearts entered the dark and dank underground area of Shibuya Station. The only thing is it no longer looked like the Shibuya Station they knew.

“The hell is this place?” Ryuji muttered as well, looking around stunned at the dark red underground area that looked remarkably like Shibuya station, only with red and pulsing vein-like structures attached to nearly every conceivable surface. He was taken aback even further as he noticed that the group’s clothes had reverted to their Phantom Thieves outfits.

“Do the Shadows know we’re here?!” Ann asked, looking at Morgana for answers who only nodded his head.

“Since the moment we stepped in,” Morgana confirmed earning him a glare of ire before from Rem.

“This would have been something worth knowing before we entered Morgana,” Rem glared.

“I-I’m sorry!” Morgana wilted under her glare. “But we’re still safe right here. This place acts like a Safe Room!” Morgana quickly said, “I’ve come to investigate a number of times. Shadows never come up to this floor.”

Rem’s glare eased slightly at his words, noticing that no Shadows had actually had come to attack them even if they seemingly knew they were here. “Fine,” she huffed crossing her arms as she looked at Morgana.

Morgana let out a sigh of relief before finishing his explanation “The moment we go down there, though, the place will be teeming with them.”

“Could you at least explain what this Mementos is?” Ann complained now that she’d been sufficiently scared.

“It’s everyone’s Palace,” Morgana simply said. “A normal Palace such as Kamoshida’s only form through extremely distorted desires,” he explained looking around with intent at Mementos, “Instead of multiple palaces, the general public has a shared Palace in the form of Mementos, the public’s collective unconscious.”

“Now that you mention it… this place feels a bit different from Kamoshida’s Palace…” Ann muttered taking a few steps around.

“So, everyone shares a palace because their desires aren’t as extreme as Kamoshida’s?” Rem questioned.

“That’s correct,” Morgana nodded. “We can use this place to change the hearts of people that don’t have Palaces. The steps to do that though are slightly different.”

“This place looks pretty huge though,” Ryuji said looking down the escalators into the dark abyss below. “Are we just gonna be able to get around just by walkin’?”

Rem watched as Morgana padded over quietly to the side before taking a stance. “It seems the time has finally come…” Morgana announced grandly gaining Ryuji’s and Ann’s attention.

“Morganaaa… transfooooorm!” he posed before jumping into the air. As he reached the peak of his ascent he poofed into a white cloud with the squeak of an air-horn in the background, a much large and rectangular metal form landing in his place.

“Come now, Panther, Joker. Ladies first,” the rectangular bus-looking Morgana said smugly.

“You’re… a car…” Rem muttered taking in the fact that Morgana had turned into a _car_ with full anime-like pose and everything.

Ryuji stared before exclaiming “No way!”

“This comes from the way cognition materializes in the Metaverse, plus a bit of extra training,” he explained, bright blue headlights acting as his eyes. “It’s not all too different from how you three transform.”

“You turnin’ into a car is totally different than our clothes changin’!” Ryuji retorted still stunned.

If Morgana could shrug, he would’ve done so, “For some reason, ‘cats turning into buses’ is an extremely widespread cognition among the general public.”

“Why a bus though…?” Ann questioned curiously.

“…No idea.”

“Couldn’t you have just done this in Kamoshida’s Palace?” Rem asked as they all moved forward, Rem moving into the driver’s seat while Ryuji and Ann sat in the back.

“I would have but there were tons of stairs, it was cramped, and there was no way I could sneak on top of a chandelier like this,” he retorted hotly from all around them as they sat inside.

“Please tell me you know how to drive…” Ann muttered as she noticed Rem sitting behind the wheel. Ryuji peaked forward and saw Rem already in a natural driving position.

“Not… legally…” Rem admitted sheepishly. “My hometown of Kuoh’s a pretty sleepy place and you can get up to things with not many people around,” she said as she rummaged around for the keys.

“I thought your criminal record was a sham!” Ryuji cried in shock.

“It was… doesn’t mean I didn’t do stupid things when I was younger,” Rem shrugged. “I can drive straight enough, but that’s about it. Scrapped cars didn’t really have enough fuel in them to go too far or even turn properly.”

Ryuji and Ann sweat-dropped. “Um… safety first and all that, okay…?” Ann asked with a heavy amount of hesitance.

“You’d better not smash up my beautiful face, you hear me?!”

Rem turned around for a moment before looking up. “Morgana, I don’t suppose the whole ‘cat into buses’ things comes with seatbelts?” she asked seriously.

“What are you plannin’ on doin’?!” Ryuji exclaimed loudly and wide-eyed.

“I said I could drive. Not legally and definitely not properly,” Rem grinned almost crazily. “This is going to be a learning experience for all of us.”

“We’re all going to die…” Ann moaned piteously as Rem pressed the ignition button, Morgana’s engine purring to life.

Rem’s driving skills left far too much to be desired was the unanimous consensus of the group, but since she was the only one with any actual experience no matter how limited the decided they’d leave the driving to her. Ryuji and Ann were extremely thankful for seatbelts

* * *

“Dude… what the hell’s up with all this wavy shit?” Ryuji muttered as Rem drove up to a swirling mass of red and blue.

“This is where we need to go, I can sense Nakanohara up ahead,” Morgana informed the group. “Are you ready Joker?” he asked.

Rem grinned with her hands clamped on the wheel. “Let’s do this,” she said slamming her foot on the accelerator. The Monabus lurched forward through the portal passing through it seamlessly. It was slightly disconcerting to not feel anything as they passed through the distortion and end up on the other side.

The Monabus came to a stop on the other side with the group quickly piling out. “Hey, something’s there!” Ryuji exclaimed noticing a figure wreathed in shadows standing in the centre of the room.

“That must be Nakanohara’s Shadow,” Morgana murmured.

“Lemme see,” Ryuji muttered as he opened the single functioning app on his phone, the Metanav, and looked at the information on Nakanohara. “Some front desk guy at City Hall became a stalker, right?”

“I don’t know how much evil he’s done but we have to do something if he’s bothering other people,” Ann stated, unfurling her whip from her side. Rem did the same with her chain-nails.

Morgana nodded “All right, we’ll go talk to him.”

“Who are you?!” Shadow Nakanohara asked aggressively as he noticed the group’s approach.

“You’re Nakanohara, right? The one stalking his ex?” Rem asked trying not to aggravate the Shadow too much.

“Yeah, what’s it matter?! She’s my property! I can do whatever I want with her!” he shouted back, Rem’s efforts of not aggravating the Shadow quickly going up in smoke. “It’s not like she didn’t treat me like a plaything! What’s wrong with me doing the same!?”

“You can’t just treat someone like shit just cause they did it to you! What a loaf of crap…” Ryuji exclaimed irritated, “We’re going to change the hearts of all the bastards like you!”

“There are millions of people far worse than me!” Nakanohara bellowed. “What about Madarame…? He stole everything from me, but you’re letting him off the hook!?”

“Madarame…” Ryuji muttered in confusion. “What the hell is this guy going on about?”

They didn’t get to question further as Nakanohara’s shadow burst into a buddle of red and black before reforming into an orange monster with a large bulbous head, beady little eyes, a large mouth and cut of hair that took up most of its face/head.

“Get ready here he comes!” Morgana shouted.

* * *

The group made quick work of Shadow Nakanohara, with Captain Kidd’s electric attacks allowing them to knock it down and perform an All-Out Attack.

“Huh… that was actually pretty easy,” Ryuji grinned pleased with himself.

“I-I’m sorry… please forgive me…” Shadow Nakanohara pleaded, his attitude a complete one-eighty compared to before. “I-I couldn’t stop obsessing… N-Not after this person I trusted used me and then disposed of me.”

Rem straightened as she looked at the Shadow. His earlier words felt like they had something to do with what he was saying and it didn’t feel like he was making excuses. “This Madarame person?” she asked.

The Shadow nodded downcast. “I… was afraid of being thrown away again like some worthless thing.”  
  
“So… some selfish bastard was stringing you along too…” Ann nodded along in understanding but her eyes narrowed as she cocked her hip to the side. “Still, you shouldn’t have dragged an unrelated woman into your mess.”

Shadow Nakanohara looked away shamefully. “Yes... I know that now… I’ll put an end to my obsessive love for her…” he looked up at the group. “If you can change my heart… can you change others as well?” he asked, a hopeful look on his face.

“…We can,” Rem nodded after getting a unanimous nod from Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana.

“Would you please change Madarame’s heart? Before more people fall victim to him…” Nakanohara’s Shadow started to glitter with motes of white light. Rem couldn’t say yes before the Shadow disappeared entirely and forming into a floating luminescent white orb.

“Change… Madarame’s heart?” Ann muttered to herself.

“What’s this shining thing that the Shadow turned into?” Ryuji asked as he looked at the luminescent orb.

“It’s the bud of a treasure,” Morgana said as he walked and looked up at it. “Had we left it be, it very well may have blossomed into a palace. I think this would make a perfect reward don’t you think, Joker?”

Rem shrugged as she swiped the Palace bud and looked it over questioningly. “This… is a pearl necklace…” Rem showcased what the core of the Palace bud was.

“The buds can be formed from just about anything,” Morgana shrugged. “You should be able to sell that for a good price though.”

The four grouped together. “So Nakanohara had a change of heart, right?”

“Most likely.”

Ann looked at Morgana. “But how are we supposed to know if we succeeded?”

“The lady posed the dude’s name online. If he really does change, she’ll probably comment again,” Ryuji reasoned sensibly.

“You make a fair point,” Morgana nodded.

“Either way though, training’ against Shadows down here’s the best! It’s great prep for our next target!” Ryuji grinned with uncontained excitement.

“It’s also a great way to target the people who’re posted on the Phan-Site,” Rem added before looking at the pearl necklace in her grasp. “And cash as well…”

“Man seems like things are going pretty great for us,” Ryuji crowed.

“Hold it!” Morgana stopped him from getting too loud. “There’s somewhere I want to show you guys before we leave.”

“What, there’s more?” Ryuji asked scratching the back of his head.

“I’ll show you what I mean.” Morgana nodded before transforming back into the Monabus. The three quickly clambered back in with Rem taking the wheel once more. With a heavy foot, the group began to speed through the depths of Mementos, descending to the next floor.

* * *

“Alright, this is it! The thing I want to make sure of is inside,” Morgana said as they descended to the next floor down the escalators. To the sides, trains flowed back and forth, wind hurtling through the air as they sped on the tracks.

The rest of the group quickly noticed what seemed to be a strange-looking cement wall with red engraved etchings on it.

“What is this place? It’s kinda creepy…” Ann shivered looking at the wall.

“And a dead end at that. Why’s it even exist?” Ryuji questioned.

“No hold on…” Morgana stopped their questioning as he looked over his shoulder. “Just watch. This is most likely not an ordinary wall. If my hunch is correct…” he trailed off as he moved forward and placed a paw on to the etched-wall. The three humans recoiled as the structure began to shake, the central piece of the wall moving upwards while the corners slid out of the way revealing another set of escalators.

“It opened!” Ann gasped.

 _“A new area has been confirmed in the depths. Updating guidance information._ ” Rem looked at her phone noticing that the Metaverse Navigator had opened, a map appearing on the screen.

Morgana jumped in delight. “See!? It’s just as I thought!”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Ann asked.

Morgana shook his head. “That wall wouldn’t budge when I came here by myself before,” Morgana explained, “But it’d be weird for the deepest parts of Mementos to be some normal place like this, wouldn’t it?”

Ryuji crossed his arms as he looked down at Morgana. “So you were thinkin’ there’s gotta be more?”

“Yeah! Now that Kamoshida’s Palace is gone and people are actually starting to talk about us…” Morgana confirmed. “I knew something had to have changed down here!”

“How deep is it? Should we try going further down?” Ann peered down into the inky black abyss.

“Let’s not, that’s not why we’re here today remember,” Morgana shook his head. “We’ve already accomplished our goal. We should head back and I’ll explain more once we’re home.”

Rem felt strange. It felt like something was coming. Her hand shot out, stopping Morgana from moving forward, her other moving towards the chain-nails on her hip and unfurling them, grasping the chain while the nails fell to the ground.

“Joker? What are you doin’?” Ryuji asked as he noticed their leaders tense form.

Rem didn’t say anything but turned around and look at the escalators leading up to the entrance of Mementos. It wasn’t noticeable at first but eventually, the group could hear it.

Footsteps.

A figure calmly walked down the escalators of Mementos, walked forward, and stood just a fair bit away from them on the platform.

“Uh… Mona, is this some sort of special cognition…?” Ann asked tense, her hand drifting to her whip as she looked at the person.

Morgana and Ryuji drew their weapons. “No… this feels more like a person… be careful everyone!” Morgana shouted as he analysed the person that descended from above.

The figure didn’t say anything.

To the side, trains rushed past sending the knee-length black duster coat he wore swaying with the rush of air. The figure was evidently male judging by his build and he wore a black mask with bright red lenses and raven-black hair slicked back. The rest of his clothes were of the same black.

Rem tensed as a pistol with wings appeared in his left hand while a demonic-looking short sword slid from his sleeve into his right.

“Uh, guys, what’s the plan here?!” Ryuji fidgeted as he looked at the person's weapons. It was evident just by looking at them that the quality was leagues ahead of their own, even compared to Morgana’s sword and slingshot.

Rem didn’t say anything but just clutched her chain-nails tighter.

The figure spoke.

“I… had expected that you’d descend the Path of Aiyatsbus… it seems I was wrong…” the male spoke, his voice deep and trembling with timbre. Each of his words sent shivers down Rem’s spine.

“Who are you?” Morgana shouted at the figure, eyes narrowed, “What do you want?!”

“What I want…?” the figure cocked his head to the side. “What I want is to test your strength,” the figure smirked as a single word left his lips.

“Persona.”

The group reeled at the fact that they were facing a fellow persona-user.

…

"It's nice to meet you hee-ho!" a voice said cheerily

“Oh my god, I was so worried for a second,” Anna clutched at her stomach as laughter left her mouth as she looked at the tiny and stubby but dancing form of a small white demon, a blue hat on its head and a perpetual smile on its face.

Jack Frost.

“Hey didn’t we fight one of these things back in Kamoshida’s palace?” Ryuji asked as he got out of his fighting stance, hefting his mace onto his shoulder as he just shook his head. “It’s weak to fire isn’t it?”

Rem nodded silently, but something felt off.

“Carmen!” Ann shouted, ripping off her mask.

She realized what felt wrong. The figure still hadn’t taken off his own mask, even when summoning a Persona. “Panther, wait-!” she called out but was too late.

Balls of fire were sent hurtling from Carmen’s grasp at the tiny little dancing ice-demon, the black-clad figure standing unphased at the prospect of being burned to a crisp. It was only Rem’s quick action that prevented Ann from being roasted alive by her own flames, the balls of fire being sent hurtling back towards her before Rem pushed her out of the way and took the blow.

“Joker! Zorro!” Morgana exclaimed in panic, his Persona materializing into Mementos. “Dia!” A green light enveloped Rem, healing the burns that formed on her skin. She stood up gingerly, helped up by Ann as they looked at the black-clad figure.

“You didn’t think it would be so simple, did you?” the man asked, his Persona still dancing at his side. His pistol rose as he levelled it directly at Rem.

“Show me the strength of the Phantom Thieves of Heart.”

* * *

“Selina!” Rem ripped off her mask as Ryuji charged forward with his mace. The figure slid smoothly under a haphazard swing by Ryuji as her Persona manifested, dark energy already coalescing within Selina’s hands.

The man slammed the butt of his pistol into the back of Ryuji’s head, sending him stumbling to the ground.

“Eiha!” Rem exclaimed, a wave of darkness forming beneath the figure. The man became enveloped in malevolent darkness.

“You got him!” Ryuji grinned.

It quickly fell as the darkness eventually dissipated without Selina supplying dark energy, revealing the black-clad figure little worse for wear.

“Now… that… was woefully disappointing…” the man shook his head, almost in disappointment judging by his tone. It was impossible to actually tell as he crouched low to the ground.

“Mabufu.”

Small frozen fractals bit into their skin, frost creeping across their flesh. Rem could feel as her feet froze to the ground beneath.

“What is up with this guy?!” Morgana complained.

“I-I d-don’t know…” Rem’s teeth chattered from the intense bone-chilling cold. Things had quickly gone south the moment the guy arrived. Off to the side, Ann had been knocked down from the intense cold that his Persona was outputting. It was colder than what her own Jack Frost could produce.

Rem grit her teeth as she changed over to Cait Sith. “Cait Sith! Media!” she shouted, a green glow enveloping the Phantom Thieves, healing their wounds even under the effect of being slowed by ice.

The man just stood there, watching them silently. Rem’s eyes flitted over to Ryuji who’d silently gotten back up behind him and had summoned Captain Kidd.

Channeling the healing power of Dia, she quickly ripped her feet from the ground and healed herself as she readied her chain-nails. Ann had recovered from being knocked down and Carmen was making quick work of melting the ice around the platform.

“Let’s do this!” Morgana shouted as he pulled out his golden slingshot.

Rem nodded and threw one of her chains forward at the man who still refused to move. They circled him, chains wrapping tightly around his form before she grasped the second nail and pulled, immobilizing him.

“Skull, now!” Ann yelled, now free of the ice. “Carmen, Tarunda!” she shouted, a red aura seeping away from the figure’s form. Rem felt as if it was easier for her to hold the man down even though he hadn't moved an inch, simply observing their actions.

“Hehe, let’s do this Captain Kidd!” Ryuji grinned looking at their immobilized enemy. “Tarukaja!” he shouted, a red aura seeping into his skin and boosting his physical strength. “Headbutt him, Captain!”

The seventeenth-century privateer charge forward atop his boat, his massive form bearing down upon the black-clad figure.

“Even just standing here… I still find myself disappointed,” the man sighed.

Rem felt shock run through her system as her grip on her chains slackened, the man’s strength even sapped under the effect of Tarunda caused her chains to squeak and groan. All of a sudden, she was flung into the air, her chains used against her as the figure leveraged his momentum to pull her upwards.

Then pain as Captain Kidd rocketed into her, its already monstrous physical strength boosted by Tarukaja hitting her at full-speed.

“Skull you idiot! You hit Joker!” Morgana yelped in panic as Rem was sent flying into Ann, the two of them falling down into a heap. “Zorro! Garu!” he ordered his Persona, sending cutting winds at the still chained black-figure.

It didn’t seem the figure was content to stand still and be struck any longer as he slipped out of Rem’s chains and grasped one end before looping it around Ryuji like a lasso.

“Wha-?” was all Ryuji was able to utter before he was yanked into the air and into the path of Zorro’s wind. “Gah- Urk!” Ryuji grunted in pain as he continued to be pelted by cutting gales before being yanked downwards into Morgana, sending them tumbling to the ground next to Ann and Rem.

“For ones that have outed themselves to the public… your strength is lacking…” the man said quietly tossing the chain-nails over Rem’s fallen form.

“Grr… dammit!” Ryuji scowled as he stumbled to his feet. The rest of the Phantom Thieves did the same, watching as the male stood there quietly watching as they got to their feet.

“What… is up with this guy…?” Ann panted, exhausted after the short but brutal fight. “He’s throwing us around like we’re nothing!”

Rem stood up grasping at her chain-nails, a silence befalling the platform as the two groups looked at each other. The silence only was broken by the sound of trains passing and wind howling down the tunnels.

The man didn’t seem like he had even a hair out of place while Rem felt as if Captain Kidd had broken a rib or at least bruised it, never mind the fact that she’d taken Ann’s Agilao from earlier and crashed into her. Ryuji had cuts littering his skin from Zorro’s attempt at attacking the man, while having smatterings of bruises across the back of his head where he’d been cold-cocked.

Rem stared the man down as she stowed away her chain-nails and pulled out a pistol of her own. The rest of the Phantom Thieves understood, stowing away their weapons and withdrawing their firearms.

“So that’s how you wish to do this? Very well,” the black-clad figure muttered as Jack Frost disappeared, crouching close to the ground his short sword and pistol at the ready.

Bullets and marbles flew through the air towards the figure. He didn’t do anything aside from dodging the bullets and projectiles.

“Attaaaack!” Morgana gave the battle-cry to perform an all-out attack as he jumped through the air. Using the nearby pillars and the ground to jump, the four bound through the air, their melee weapons at the ready to strike.

“Too slow…” Rem’s eyes saw his mouth form into the tiniest of grins as his feet touched the ceiling and he _moved_. She felt as the back edge of his short sword dug into the small of her back sending her hurtling to the ground like a comet, bouncing off the platform floor like a tennis ball and only coming to a stop near the escalators.

Several thuds and groans of pain proved that she wasn’t the only one to be sent to the ground, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana struggling to stand with various bruises and wounds accumulating on their body. “Th-This guy’s a monster,” Ryuji wheezed, trying to use his metal mace to prop himself up.

His mace clattered to the floor as his strength left him. Ann and Morgana were in similar states of disarray, the two unable to summon their Persona’s from exhaustion.

The figure crouched down in front of Rem, red lenses looking down impassively at her red orbs. “That… was a very disappointing fight for those that had conquered the Demon of Lust…” the figure said, watching as Rem tried to at least sit up, propping herself against the side of the escalator.

She managed successfully but failed to do anything else except stare at the still crouched figure, their eyes level as they stared at each other. “Wh-Why…?” she asked, brave enough to actually ask the man why he’d attacked them out of the blue for seemingly little reason.

The man just stared. Eventually, his mouth opened.

“When you stole the Treasure within the Palace, you joined a game bigger than you can imagine,” he said. “You announced to the greater players of your intent to join the game… and those players won’t hesitate to grind you beneath their feet. If you couldn’t even touch me when I held myself back… you’ll all be dead before the year is up.”

Rem felt the blood in her bones run cold. Beside her, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana froze as well.

The man shook his head and sighed. “As you are now, you will die. Is this really the path you’ve chosen? There’s no turning back if you choose to continue.”

The platform fell quiet in contemplative silence, once more the only sound being trains rushing by and air howling. The man’s duster coat sway with each passing train as red lenses bore into Rem.

“W-We can’t j-just let no-good shitty a-adults do as they l-like,” Ryuji wheezed with a rattling breath more than evident as he struggled onto his ass.

“I-I won’t ignore a-as others get hurt,” Ann propped herself next to Rem, blue orbs staring into visored red.

“W-We’ll steal the distorted desires of others no matter what!” Morgana jumped onto Rem’s head before quickly collapsing just from that exertion of effort.

“And what about you?” the man looked back at Rem. “Will you accept the consequences of your actions… or will you turn away?”

Rem stared up at him fearlessly, “I made my choice once… I don’t need to make it again.”

…

“An excellent choice,” the man suddenly grinned, as he withdrew a small bottle from his pocket filled with a golden liquid. She didn’t have much time to think about it as he crushed the bottle into glass dust. Gold filled the air around them, Rem feeling as her wounds were healed and the fatigue from being tossed around and using her Persona was erased.

They just looked up at the man, stunned at the sudden change in his attitude.

“Every time you continue to make yourself known to the public… I will be here ready to beat you to a pulp…” the man said standing up. “As you gather your fame… I will be here ready to test the strength of your convictions… do you accept this contract?”

He extended a hand.

Morgana, Ryuji, and Ann stared dumbly as Rem extended her own and clasped his. If possible, the man’s smile seemed to have too many teeth.

Rem felt as chains within her mind shattered and the familiar voice of a little girl become known to her.

**I am thou, thou art I**

**Thou hast acquired a new vow**

**It shall become the wings of rebellion**

**that breaketh thy chains of captivity**

**With the birth of the World Persona,**

**I have obtained the** **winds of blessing**

**that shall lead to freedom and new power.**

“Interesting…” the man murmured looking at Rem. “I shall await you at the end of Aiyatsbus…”

Without even so much as a by your leave, he turned on his heels and began to walk down the empty stairway.

"Wait!" Rem called out causing him to stop in his tracks. "Who are you?"

The man stood there for a moment. "Just a remnant of a ruined world..." was his reply as he made his way into the depths of Mementos.

…

“So we got out butts kicked by a guy calling himself a remnant and you agreed for him to beat us again later on... Can we please just go home now…?” Ryuji slumped to the ground no longer physically exhausted but mentally, the absolute beatdown they’d received fresh in his mind, never mind the fact that their leader had accepted for them to continue getting continuous beatdowns in the future.

Rem just nodded dumbly as she looked at the empty stairway into the abyss.

**World Arcana – Rank 1!**

**+5 All Stats**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. Akira is now a recurring boss that shall continue to pummel the Phantom Thieves into the ground. Literally this time around.
> 
> If anyone was wondering what Akira crushed, it was a bottle of Soma.
> 
> Also, it seems that the comments I wake up to after I post a chapter give me renewed energy to write and keep my muse running, so continue commenting! Please let me know if I made any mistake or errors and I’ll go back and fix them up.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with Chapter 15 folks!
> 
> Return of the Egg-Boi. And Doc. This chapter is very much just setting up and passing through canon events, so it’s going to largely be something repetitive.
> 
> Edit: Interesting fact but Harry potter and the half-blood prince was 168,923 words… I’m almost halfway to a harry potter book, which I’ve written in a month. And I’ve barely passed the first Palace. At this rate, this story will be the length of the entire harry potter series

Rem felt as if she was simultaneously wide-awake and dead on her feet as she drove through Mementos, Ryuji and Ann piled in the back taking a power nap. She could tell even Morgana was pooped, his engine no longer as boisterous as it was when they’d initially journeyed down.

It all came back to the one that called himself a ‘Remnant’. The black-clad figure that had just appeared, thrashed the living daylights out of them, formed a contract, and left…

It was eye-opening and humbling to know that there were others out in the Metaverse that were capable of absolutely destroying them. She hadn’t missed how they were getting slightly over their heads after stealing Kamoshida’s hearts… it made her wonder how the Remnant had known exactly who they were.

She shook her head. Perhaps this was someone they were better off on staying away from his bad side. As much as he seemed to ruthlessly take them down it didn’t seem like he had any personal problems with them with how he’d healed them with that weird golden drink. Add to the fact he was now a confidant… Rem didn’t look forward to the day he became a real enemy.

Soon, the familiar escalators appeared leading up to the entrance of Mementos. She slammed her fist on the horn, a loud piercing screech rending through the air as Morgana yowled awake, sending his two sleeping occupants back into the world of the living.

“Rise and shine you two, I’m not going to be carrying you up the escalators,” Rem honked the horn once more, the two moaning and groaning teens waking up bleary-eyed and confused.

“We’re here already…? Coulda sworn it would’ve taken longer,” Ryuji flopped over like a fish, still in the midst of waking up while Panther stretched, her spine popping.

“Still can’t believe that happened…” Ann muttered despondently, “Let’s just go home…”

“Yeah…” Ryuji agreed, rubbing the back of his neck as everyone piled out of the Monabus. Morgana transformed back into his normal form, a small frown on his face.  
  
It seemed she wasn’t the only one that had been humbled. Eventually, after another few seconds of wrangling, they made their way up the escalator which stood still, a lack of electricity preventing it from working.

The moment they got to the entrance, however, they tensed as they noticed a figure standing there. The tension eased slightly as they noticed that instead of the Remnant from earlier, it seemed to be some sort of child.

“Why are there so many people in Mementos!?” Morgana growled lightly as they moved closer.

The figure was a small boy in white. He wore a grey parka and boots with a pair of goggles around his neck while his legs were clad in black pants. Behind him was a small blue automobile with a pile of junk precariously piled on the back and tied down with copious amounts of rope.

It was strange Rem realised as she noticed the child-like figure move towards a large floating yellow orb filled with flowers just in front of him. “Hmm…” the boy hummed contently as he held a hand out to the flower orb, “I wonder what this one will show me.”

Rem had to take a second and make sure she was seeing what she was seeing because she could have sworn that the flowers turned into _orange juice_. It seemed she wasn’t the only one taken aback, however.

“Either that ass-whoopin’ we took has taken a lot outta me, or did a buncha’ mystical flowers turn into a glass of orange juice for anyone else?” Ryuji murmured as the four approached him warily.

The boy in white finally took notice of them. “Oh? I didn’t realise there would be more people down here!” the child said surprised. “So, who’re you guys?”

“WE should be asking YOU that!” Morgana bristled, his fur spiking slightly.

The boy in white’s eyes widened before looking at them apologetically, “Good point. Sorry about that. I forgot that it’s customary for a human to introduce itself before asking another human for its name.”

“Thank for reminding me, Misterrr… um… Tanuki?” the boy tried before shaking his head, “No… um… hmmm… cat?” he hedged, Morgana bristling even more at the length of time it had taken the boy to reach that conclusion.

“What took so long to come up with ‘Cat’!? And I’m not either of those!” Morgana yowled before he was picked up by the back his neckerchief, and found himself being hoisted into the air by Rem.

“Stop being rude,” Rem chastised tiredly before hefting him onto her shoulder and away from the child in white.

“To be fair Mona… it’s pretty easy for him to come to that conclusion,” Ryuji hung his head in exasperation and exhaustion.

“My name is Jose. I’m looking for flowers,” Jose introduced himself. “I’m pretty surprised to see some normal humans other than my big bro running around. I didn’t realise that this place was so accessible to normal humans.”

Rem’s mind caught the middle of Jose’s sentence.

“Big bro?” she asked curiously and with the slightest amount of apprehension.

Jose nodded. “Mhmm… he helps me and brings me flowers for my research. He went down earlier and said he’d be back in a few hours.”

Rem looked at Ryuji and Ann with a look of dawning comprehension.

“Uh… hey, Jose?” Ann crouched down so she was eye-level with the boy. “Does your ‘big bro’ wear all black? Like maybe a knee-length black jacket, black mask with red lenses and his hair slicked back?” she asked.

Jose nodded enthusiastically. “Mhmm, that’s him! Did you meet him?”

“Uh… ‘meet’ ain’t exactly the word I’d use, but yeah… we saw him alright,” Ryuji winced, rubbing the spot along his rib where Jose’s ‘big bro’ had used that short sword of his to send him into the ground along with everyone else.

At least Rem knew now that he had some sort of relation with Jose. “Does he have a name?” she asked curiously, wondering if they’d be able to find him on the MetaNav.

“Ummm…” Jose placed a finger up to his chin and pursed his lips, his brow furrowing and scrunching, “Actually, I don’t think he’s ever told me his name. I just started calling him big bro after I met him.”

“Darn, thought you might’ve been onto something,” Morgana muttered on Rem’s shoulders. But of course not, that would’ve been too easy.

“Never mind that for now,” Ann shook her head, wavy blonde pig-tails swinging behind her. “You said he helps you with your research? Does that have something to do with the floating flower thing from earlier?”

“That’s right, pretty lady,” Jose nodded, “These flowers help me with my research. I’m collecting as many of them as I can because I’m studying humans.”

“Study humans?” Ryuji asked surprised, “That’s why you turned a flower into orange juice?”

“Yup,” was Jose’s succinct reply.

“Drinking flower-orange juice counts as studying?” he whispered to himself. Rem was already able to tell where his thought process was going considering the upcoming exams.

Her hand flitted upwards and smacked the back of Ryuji’s head lightly, just strong enough to bring him back into the grasp of reality. “No drinking flower juice from the creepy subway just to get out of studying,” she reprimanded sternly.

“Aww, c’mon…” Ryuji pouted.

“Would you guys like to help me with my research as well? There’s a human saying that ‘two heads are better than one’, so six heads are better than two, right?” Jose offered.

“Do you just want us to collect flowers for you?” Ann asked curiously.

“Yup, I wouldn’t ask you to do it for free, though,” Jose nodded before making a motion to the pile of junk on his automobile. “I find all kinds of stuff you can use while you’re exploring. I’ll trade you some of that stuff for more flowers.”

“Uh… Joker? Whaddya think about this?” Ryuji turned to Rem looking for advice. “As much as I hate his brother for kickin’ our butts, Jose doesn’t seem all too bad. Should we try an’ get him some flowers?”

Morgana’s ears flattened against his rotund head displaying his lack of certainty. “More equipment sounds good but we don’t know this kid… and with his ties to the Remnant… we’ve gotta be careful Joker,” he whispered from Rem’s shoulder.

It didn’t seem like Ann was too concerned as she just waved off everyone’s worries. “Oh, I’m sure he’s fine. Let’s give him a hand,” she suggested, “He seems like he could use it, and it shouldn’t be too hard to pick flowers while we’re exploring, right?”

Ryuji nodded his head understandingly, bringing a hand to his chin and scratching but gave Ann a sideways knowing glance. “Okay… any OTHER reasons?” he smirked.

“Hehe, he called me ‘pretty lady’,” Ann giggled swaying her arms from side-to-side in ill-concealed delight.

“Nooo! Lady Ann…” Morgana whined piteously directly next to Rem’s ear causing her to recoil and push him off.

“Eh, it’s prolly fine,” Ryuji waved off Morgana’s whine. “If we can get some useful stuff out of this, and so long as you’re cool with it Joker, I don’t see a problem with it.”

Jose looked up at Rem as the leader of their ragtag group. “Well, what do you say? Are young to be helping me find some flowers?”

Rem thought about it for a moment. All they really need to do was collect flowers in exchange for items, something of which shouldn’t be too hard and it could also mean that they could get some information on the Remnant.

“I don’t see why not,” Rem said coming to a decision.

“Great!” Jose cheered while holding out a hand. “My big bro once told me that humans clasp each other’s hands and shake them together for a variety of reasons. In our case, it’s to display that a deal has been accepted. He called it a handshake.”

Rem rose a brow. It seemed that the Remnant wasn’t nearly as intimidating as he made himself seem… or perhaps he was only nice with Jose?

Shaking her head, Rem accepted the proffered hand and shook it. “I look forward to helping you,” Rem smiled.

“Thanks,” Jose nodded

“Wait, wait, hang on a second! We still have no idea who this kid is!” Morgana disagreed with the decision apparently with a large amount of vehemence as he whirled to look at Jose. “Don’t go thankin’ us just yet, bud!” Morgana said to the child that was slightly taller than him.

“Aw, are you tired, kitty? You seem grumpy,” Jose looked at Morgana with a downcast expression. Rem let out the smallest giggle as she watched Morgana’s attempt at intimidating Jose fail to do anything.

“I am NOT a cat! And I’m NOT grumpy!” Morgana bristled.

That seemed to cheer Jose up somehow. “O-Oh, okay – the, are you hungry?” he asked curiously. “I learned that hunger can make a person turn grumpy,” Jose said before rustling through his pockets and withdrawing a small cookie packet that looked surprisingly uncrumpled, “Here, you can have this.”

Morgana sweat-dropped at the offering. “Thanks, but I’ll pass…”

“C’mon Mona, you’re making the kid worry about ya even more,” Ryuji remarked shaking his head at their cat, “Guess there’s no way outta this one.”

Morgana crumpled dramatically to the floor.

Eventually, the four stood back as Jose clambered into his blue automobile. Now that Rem got a better look at it, she actually noticed there were some golden balloons in the shape of stars attached to the back. “I’ll be around Mementos looking for flowers, so stop by and say hi if you see me,” Jose smiled before it dropped into an expression of thinking. “And I guess just gathering flowers would be kind of boring, huh? Since you humans seem to enjoy playing so much, I’ll come up with a game for you.”

Just as he was about to press down on his accelerator his face seemed to light up in one of comprehension. “I just remembered something my big bro always says to me: Good Job!” he squeaked his car horn for emphasis.

His car squeaked into the depths of Mementos with a very cartoonish sound of the wheels moving.

The four stared at his retreating car, Ryuji hanging his head in exhaustion as he left. “Man, I’m pooped after that…” Ryuji moaned.

“We didn’t even do anything, we just talked,” Ann retorted with a raised brow but relaxed as she through about Jose. “But… he said he was studying humans… does that mean he isn’t one? I mean he just seemed like some nice kid.”

Rem saw Morgana’s ears flatten once more as he gained a contemplative look on his face, “Well, he certainly didn’t feel like a Shadow… so I wouldn’t say he’s dangerous… that Remnant big brother of his on the other hand…”

“Ugh, don’t remind me…” Ryuji groaned. “We’re gonna be getting’ our ass handed to us the deeper we go into Mementos. Why’d you agree to getting’ our asses kicked again?” he asked, the question directed at Rem.

“He said there were people that would crush us…” Rem said shrugging, “I’d rather get out butts kicked by him and learn, rather than getting our butts kicked and… well, die.”

“Man, I know you have logic and all but it still sucks to think about it,” Ryuji complained. “Well at least for the next time we come here, if we see any of those flowers Jose wants, I guess we can grab ‘em for him.”

**Honk Honk**

A familiar sound of a car horn honking caused them to look up, finding Jose driving back to them. Jose’s car came to a screeching halt in front of them, Jose himself quickly clambering out of his car and over to them.  
  
“I totally forgot!” Jose exclaimed, “There’s something I was meaning to give to all of you!”

Rem cocked her head to the side quizzically, “What would that be?”

“This!” Jose held up what looked like a blue star-shaped pendant charm with a smattering of green, yellow and pink. “I picked it up while I was exploring earlier.”

“Huh? What the heck is that?” Ryuji asked as he inspected the star charm.

“It’s a star, dummy…” Jose giggled. “At least, that’s what they look like, so that what I call them.

“A star?” Morgana asked doubtfully.

“Um, so, what about it did you want to show us?” Ann asked.

“Well, I found out something interesting. Humans make wishes on stars, right? Stars granting wishes…” Jose said before trailing off and shaking his head, “Anyways, this star is going to grant your wishes.”

Rem stared bug-eyed at the seemingly innocuous star-shaped charm. “Our wishes?!” Morgana exclaimed, the rest of the group in similar states of shock and awe.

“…Or, it would be nice to think that,” Jose shrugged. He looked up at Rem. “I’ll give this to you. It’s so sparkly and beautiful, you want it too, don’t you?” he asked curiously as he offered it to Rem, “It can be a sign of our friendship! I know understand what that is from my studies!”

Rem knelt down and accepted it with a gentle smile. A hand reached up and rubbed the top of Jose’s head. “Thank you, Jose… you did a good job,” she smiled.

Jose looked at her silently for a moment, almost searchingly. “You know lady, you remind of my big bro! I’ll call you big sis from now on!” he said, nodding his head affirmingly before Rem could stop him.

He’d clambered into his car and drove off, leaving the pendant in the hand of a gobsmack Rem.

“Welp, there he goes,” Ryuji remarked as he watched the little childlike figure leave. “Man, ‘pretty lady’, ‘big sis’, how come I didn’t get a nickname?”

Rem gave him a smug grin as she hefted the star-charm in her hand. “You just don’t leave that much of an impression like us girls,” she teased.

“Harsh… but maybe true…” Ryuji bemoaned before shaking his head and looking at the charm. “But a star, huh? He said it’d grant our wishes or somethin’…”

Morgana shook his head. “I highly doubt something like that would happen, even in Mementos…” he said before nodding at the charm anyway, “Well, I guess you can at least try making a wish…”

It seemed that Ann was more than on-board for that idea. “Okay… I wish for all-you-can-eat parfaits! With zero calories!” she exclaimed.

“An extra-large beef bowl! With pork soup on the side!” Ryuji exclaimed before the two looked at Rem.

“I don’t know… Black Ivory coffee,” Rem said shrugging only to get a disgusted reaction from Morgana.

“Eww, Rem! You really liked that stuff?” Morgana asked disgustedly.

Rem couldn’t help but shrug. “For what it was… it was pretty good….”

The four looked at the star only to find no reaction.

“Well… nothing’s happening…” Morgana wilted, along with Ann.

“Was Skull’s wish too petty?”

“Mine? What about yours? Or Rem’s?” Ryuji asked, almost feeling attacked by how he was being singled out.

“I guess things don’t just happen that easily,” Morgana murmured before looking at Rem. “But we can’t just throw the thing away… Hold onto it for now.”

“Way ahead of you Mona,” Rem nodded, tucking it away into the pocket of her shorts.

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but after just all of… this, everyone cool if we head home?” Ryuji asked, this time almost pleadingly. “All I want to do is go home and sleep like a log until tomorrow…”

Rem, Ann, and Morgana nodded at that, an idea that they all could get behind.

* * *

Akira found himself four days following his fight against the Phantom Thieves finding himself surprised at the announcement of a school assembly during the middle of exam week when he entered school. He didn’t recall this happening last time.

He closed the umbrella he was sharing with Sumire, a heavy downpour coming today as he shook off the clinging moisture.

“I can’t believe this… A school assembly? During exam week? The hell are they thinking?” a student muttered.

“It’s the day after tomorrow, right? I wonder if it’s gonna be about Mr. Kamoshida again…” another student replied looking at the announcement posted on the school bulletin board.

“Ugh, I can’t believe that the school is messing around with our schedule like this…” the student complained.

“I don’t care what it’s about – it’s gonna have nothing to do with us, students. I wish they’d stop dragging us into their mess.”

“Are you worried about this Akira-senpai?” Sumire asked from his side only to get a shrug in response.

“Not too much,” Akira said honestly. “I’m confident in my grades. How about you?”

“I think it wouldn’t hurt for me to study after school between exams,” she replied looking at the notice.

Akira rose a brow. “I’d offer to help but I’m not all too sure what subjects the first-years are studying, sorry I can’t be of much help there,” Akira apologised.

“Oh, don’t worry senpai. I think I can handle it myself,” Sumire waved him off but thanked him for his gesture. “I think we should head to class; the exams will be starting in ten minutes.”

Akira nodded and the two made their way to their respective morning homerooms.

* * *

After the first and second day of the exams came the day of the emergency morning assembly. As per usual, Akira stood in his spot at the back of the gymnasium, Sumire at his side. Thankfully the school had been kind enough to hold it in the afternoon, after the day’s exam period.

Rumours and muttering flittered around the gymnasium as tired and exhausted exam student spilled into the gymnasium.

“A school-wide assembly, at this time of year? Really?”

“Think we can bring out flashcards in?”

“Kamoshida is just one of the many things wrong with this school…”

“I’ve got to hurry home and study!”

“That Kamoshida is still causing us trouble, even when he’s gone…”

Akira perked up as he noticed Kobayakawa walk up to the microphone, however, without the podium that stood before him like last time. “Ever since that specific incident last time, many of you have voiced concerns that I could not bear to ignore,” Kobayakawa begun. “We believe the mental health of our student body is absolutely vital, so we’ve acquired the services of a therapist.”

Akira rose a brow. He didn’t recall this happening last time. He wondered if this was simply another one of the deviations that Lavenza had mentioned.

“The floor is yours, Doctor…” Kobayakawa trailed off allowing a relatively young-looking man dressed in a lab coat, a blue-collared shirt and a navy blue tie along with long khaki pants to walk forward. He wore a pair of glasses that framed his brown eyes while a mop of curly but wavy hair sat upon the top of his head.

“What? No way?”

“Isn’t he hot?”

That wasn’t what caught Akira’s attention.

No, what caught his attention was the sudden sharp intake of air beside him, causing him to look down at Sumire. She wore a face of stunned surprise as if she couldn’t believe that the man upon the stage was even there. He felt something in his chest coil but it eased as he realised it was more a joyous shock rather than one of fear.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” the teacher wearing glasses greeted.

“Woah, his voice is sexy!”

“My name is-” he spoke before the mic cut out audibly causing him to let out a sound of confusion, tapping the Mic to make sure it was working before he tried again. “My name is Takuto Maruki,” he introduced himself, “Thank you for welcoming me to your school.”

“Maruki…?” Akira muttered curiously… he could’ve sworn he’d heard that name somewhere.

He bowed politely only to quickly hit his forehead against the microphone, a screeching whine to ring through the gymnasium causing some students to giggle. “No need to be formal with me, though. I’m just here to counsel anyone who’s interested,” he stated eliciting even more giggling from the female populace of the school.

“You can even call me Doc, if that would help you feel more comfortable. Any assistance you need, I’ll be- Oh… perhaps not any money issues. I don’t think I can be of much help in that regard…” he trailed off as Kobayakawa took the mic from him.

“Thank you, Doctor Maruki…” Kobayakawa said as he took centre stage, a slight amount of annoyance ringing his tone.

It hit Akira, finally putting the pieces together.

**“For the most part, yes. My father around that time also suggested for me to go to a councillor… Councillor Maruki also suggested that sometimes if you can’t solve your problems it’s okay to run away… so I ended up transferring here to Shujin as an honours student with my gymnastics skill.”**

He was the councillor that Sumire had gone to following the car accident.

With the introduction of the new student councillor out of the way, the rest of the announcement was quickly wrapped up since it was still the middle of the exam week.

Akira looked down at Sumire, “Want to go say hi to him? He was your councillor, wasn’t he?” he asked.

Sumire looked up at him in surprise, “...You remember that, Senpai?”

He gave her a confused look. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Sumire didn’t say anything. “If you don’t mind I’d like to go talk to him,” Sumire eventually said, Akira nodding at her words as he picked both his bag and her own.

“Let’s get going then,” Akira smiled.

* * *

Rem and Ann were walking through the school courtyard when Ryuji finally caught up to them following the introduction of the new student councillor.

“You ever expected this place to actually give a shit about our mental health?” Ryuji asked as he caught up to them.

“Well, our school’s made national news. Maybe they figured they’d look even worse if they didn’t do anything for us,” Ann reasoned.

Ryuji nodded along. “And Doctor, uh… Doctor Whatshisname…” Ryuji tried to remember but failed.

“Maruki,” Rem supplied, a raised brow as she saw said man approaching from behind Ryuji.

“Yeah – wasn’t that guy basically clownin’ it up onstage?” Ryuji asked, completely unaware that said man was right behind him. “You really think he’ll do us any good?”

“Ryuji…” Ann hissed wincing as Doctor Maruki saddled up to the three.

“Hey there,” the brown-haired doctor greeted, looking between the three. “Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-san, right? And that would make you… Amamiya-san,” he said, his eyes falling on Rem.

“How do you know our names?” Ryuji asked with a slight amount of hostility, suspicion in his eyes.

“Well, I was informed of certain students before beginning my tenure here,” Doctor Maruki admitted while he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “Those students that have had… previous dealings and interactions with Mr. Kamoshida.”

He looked over to Rem. “It must have been especially tough for you since he did admit that you were a target of his ire for a large portion of your time here before he turned himself in,” Maruki said.

Rem shrugged. “I didn’t expect that I’d end up trapped in a castle on my first day…” she said casually, Ryuji and Ann swivelling to look at her in panic. It wasn’t as if he’d believe what she said anyway, so it wasn’t like it hurt to be truthful.

“A… castle?” Maruki scratched his head in confusion.

“You idiot!” Ryuji hissed, shocked at what she’d admitted.

“Ahahah, it seems like she didn’t get enough sleep last night, you know with exams and all,” Ann covered up after Rem’s admittance.

“So… whadyya want with us?” Ryuji asked, deflecting the question back at Maruki.

“Ah, yes I’d forgotten…” Maruki said looking at the three, “I know I already offered my services to the student body earlier, but would you three be interested in counselling?” he asked.

“Nope, not at all,” came Ryuji’s blunt reply.

“Huh?!” Maruki was taken aback by the complete and swift refusal.

“How’s that in any way surprising?” Ryuji questioned.

Maruki was quick to laugh off Ryuji’s bluntness though. “You were just a touch more emphatic about it than I’d expected…” Maruki admitted. “Ah! But, if you came to my office, you can have free snacks!”

That piqued Rem’s interest.

“All you can eat…” Maruki offered, “…would be nice, but there’s still plenty to be had. So, how about it?”

With her interest sufficiently piqued and her stomach hungry after a full day of exams, Rem leaned forward. “Tell me more of these snacks…” she requested earning her a surprised look from Ann and a gleeful look from Maruki.

“Hey, don’t fall for that!” Ann admonished which Rem quickly shrugged off.

Maruki rubbed the back of his head again, a sheepish expression covering his face. “To be frank, I’ve been explicitly ordered to provide counselling to the students directly involved with Mr. Kamoshida. Students such as you three, and Kurusu-kun. It’s in the school’s interests… for its students.”

“Ahhh, the school’s interest, huh?” Ryuji glowered at Maruki.

“Oh, lay off him Ryuji, he’s just the middle-man,” Rem shook her head earning her a grateful look from Maruki.

“Thank you, Amamiya-san,” Maruki gave her a small smile. “I understand that asking you to be open with a complete stranger like myself is a lot. Making this mandatory wouldn’t do you any good, either. Might as well turn it into a worthwhile experience…”

“…Oh, I know! If you attend my counselling sessions, I’ll teach you different ways to improve your mental acuity. Like, way to hone your concentration before exams, or not getting nervous on dates,” Maruki offered professionally. “How’s that sound…?”

“Uh…” Ann let out nervously.

“There are also snacks…”

And that was Rem’s ticket in. “I’ll go for it,” she answered.

“And she fell for the snacks… dammit…” Ryuji hung his head, “…Still, I guess it’d just be more trouble if we didn’t go…”

“Yeah…” Ann agreed.

Maruki looked at them in surprise. “Really? Then, I guess it’s a deal,” Maruki nodded gratefully. “I’ll be in the nurse’s office – feel free to come by whenever it’s convenient for you.”

The three nodded.

“Welp, we should get goin’.” Ryuji muttered as he began to walk off.

“Okay, see you later!” Maruki waved as the two left, Rem quick to follow but was stopped as Maruki continued speaking. “Thanks for taking my counselling into consideration. Now that we have a deal, I promise I’ll do my best to help you.”

Rem nodded quietly.

She’d made a deal with Maruki.

The familiar sound of shattering chains echoed in the depths of her mind, a female’s voice resounding in her head.

**I am thou, thou art I…**

**Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

**It shall become the wings of rebellion**

**that breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

**With the birth of the Councillor Persona,**

**I have obtained the winds of blessing that**

**shall lead to freedom and new power…**

“Hey Rem, what’s the hold-up…?” Ryuji called out.

“Sorry for keeping you like this but would you be able to direct me to Kurusu-kun before you leave?” Maruki asked politely, a bit awkward for continuing to hold her up.

Rem simply pointed directly behind him.

Maruki turned around to find himself eye-level with piercing grey eyes. “Oh! HelloI I didn’t see you there!”

Akira gave an acknowledging wave to Rem which she returned before walking over to Ryuji and Ann.

“Yoshizawa-san! I wasn’t aware you were already acquainted with Kurusu-kun…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day, now please excuse me as I go sleep. Next chapter will be Akira and Sumire chatting with Maruki... that's about as far as I have planned.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy. I am never doing two chapters in a day again because I hit a point where I was like “where do I even go from here?”. So yeah, don’t expect two chatpers in a single day. It felt nice to get it out but boy was I pooped.
> 
> Also, it surprises me how much people actually comment on other people’s comments and have discussions.
> 
> well here we are with Chapter 16 folks!

Akira would have admitted that he was standing a bit too close to the new school counsellor when he and Sumire found him in the middle of talking to Rem. It was, therefore, a bit confronting for the counsellor to be asking for him, Rem to point at him, and then come face-to-face with the man as the counsellor whirled around to face him.

“Oh! Hello! I didn’t see you there!” Doctor Maruki gave a genial smile as their eyes met.

Putting that off to the side for the moment, Akira gave Rem a wave of acknowledgement which she returned before she quickly returned to Ryuji and Ann.

“Yoshizawa-san!” Maruki exclaimed as he noticed Sumire by Akira’s side, the redhead giving the counsellor a shy smile. “I wasn’t aware you were acquainted with Kurusu-kun…” he said, a slightly troubled look appearing on his face.

Sumire smiled apologetically. “Oh, I’m sorry Doctor Maruki!” she apologised, “Do you remember when last we met I told you about the person who saved my sister and gave me advice? That person was Akira-senpai.”

The slight troubled looked on Maruki’s face vanished and was instead swapped for one of stunned surprise. “Wait, Kurusu-kun, that was you?” Maruki asked, his voice tinged with shock.

Akira nodded.

“Wow… To think you’d get into an accident so quickly after saving Yoshizawa-san’s sister…” Maruki muttered but shook his head. “Sorry about that, I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m Doctor Maruki as you know, the newly appointed counsellor for Shujin Academy,” he introduced himself, a hand extended.

Akira accepted the proffered hand. “Akira Kurusu. You were looking for me Doc?” Akira asked a brow raised.

“Oh? You heard that?” Maruki took back his hand and rubbed the back of his head in sheepishness. “Actually… Principal Kobayakawa advised me of certain students that had and noticeable previous interactions of Mr. Kamoshida,” Maruki explained.

“So, students such as Takamaki-san, Sakamoto-san, and Rem?” Akira asked, earning him a look of surprise from both Maruki and Sumire at his last comment.

Maruki looked at him startled. “Oh, you’re acquainted with Amamiya-san?”

“We’re in the same class, and she lives at a café I frequent,” Akira shrugged. “But why do you need to give me counselling sessions?” he asked wonderingly.

“Well… there was video evidence that Mr. Kamoshida did come close to physically assaulting you had Principal Kobayakawa not intervened,” Doctor Maruki explained. “Coupled with the fact that you yourself got injured saving Suzui-san, it was decided that you should be one of the students that I should focus on during my tenure here.”

Akira nodded in understanding. “So, is a counselling session mandatory for me or…?” Akira trailed off askingly.

Maruki shook his head. “Of course not, making it mandatory wouldn’t help you, especially if you don’t want to share your thoughts,” Maruki said, “Like I offered Amamiya-san though, there are snacks on offer should you wish to attend…”

Akira just looked at him for a moment.

“Akira-senpai, I think you should do it,” Sumire urged him quietly but eagerly. “Doctor Maruki helped me a lot, it was thanks to him that I ended coming here meeting you again after all…”

Great…

He couldn’t say no after that, not with Sumire’s eyes looking at him pleadingly, no small level of concern in her eyes.

“Fine…” Akira relented as he looked at Maruki, “But I’ll be taking some of those snacks!”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Maruki laughed jovially at the interaction between the two. “You two really have connected, haven’t you? The last time I met Yoshizawa-san she was nowhere near as animated as she was now. It’s certainly a big improvement, and as a counsellor, it makes me glad to see she’s living her life.”

Sumire blushed, not having realised how much she’d changed over the course of the last month, only now having realised it thanks to Maruki’s observation. “U-um…” she shied away, self-conscious now. “It’s… all thanks to Akira-senpai… he’s been my closest friend…” she muttered causing a small smile to appear on said teen’s face.

Akira just patted the top of her head lightly causing her to blush even more, and allowing a small pleasant and happy smile to spread across Maruki’s face. “Well, I’m glad my advice to follow Kurusu-san’s suggestion and change schools had allowed you to move past your problems Yoshizawa-san. If you ever need to talk, you’re also more than welcome to come to the nurse’s office and see me.”

“Thank you, Doctor Maruki,” Sumire bowed, her blush fading slightly. “I’ll make sure to visit.”

“Same on my end,” Akira nodded as well. “Snacks though…” he reminded.

“My, you and Amamiya-san certainly seem to be fixated on snacks,” Maruki chuckled with the shake of his head. “Don’t worry I’ll have some snacks and drinks ready if you choose to come by, but I think for now I’ve held you two up for long enough. I think you two should head to homeroom for the end of the day,” he advised looking at his watch.

“Oh!” Sumire uttered in surprise, withdrawing her phone and looking at the time. “We don’t have much time until homeroom!” she said as she grabbed Akira’s hand and dragged him along, “We have to hurry, Senpai!”

The two rushed off, leaving Maruki behind.

“So… she really managed to move and face reality head-on…” Maruki muttered looking at their retreating figures, a wistful smile edging from the corner of his lips. “She didn’t try to become someone else… I guess some things don’t go how you expect…” he shook his head but even as he walked away that small smile tugged at the edges of lips.

* * *

After the end of homeroom, Akira made his way to the nurse’s office in the practice building. He rapped his knuckle against the door.

“One moment please!” Maruki’s voice called out. Akira heard the sound of another voice, a female excusing herself before the door opened and he found himself face-to-face with a familiar pair of clear blue eyes.

“Oh, Kurusu-kun,” Ann stepped back in surprise as she saw the taller teen standing just outside of the nurse’s office.

“Takamaki-san,” Akira greeted, “You decided to attend a counselling session as well?”

“Mhmm!” Ann beamed brightly, “It certainly took a load off my chest. Are you going to go as well?”

“Yup,” Akira nodded. “I’ve been suggested to do it so I figured I should give it a shot.”

“Oh, then I hope it works out for you,” Ann waved before turning around and giving Maruki another grateful nod before leaving.

“Kurusu-kun, would you like to come in?” Maruki asked as Ann left, leaving the two of them standing in front of the door, “We can get started if you like?”

“Lead the way Doc,” Akira nodded, following Maruki into the nurse’s office.

“I must admit, when I offered the counselling session I wasn’t expecting you to be so swift having one,” Maruki said, “You didn’t seem all too enthused about doing this, to be frank?”

Akira shrugged. “Well, Principal Kobayakawa seems to have an interest in certain students taking counsel. Miss Kawakami ended up telling us during homeroom that it’d become mandatory for certain students,” Akira explained.

“Oh...” Maruki’s face fell at that tidbit of information. “I’m sorry to hear that. I told Principal Kobayakawa that pressuring students like this would be detrimental rather than helpful, but it seems he didn’t pay me any mind,” Maruki apologised as they sat down. To his surprise, however, Akira ended up shaking his head.

“Well… it may be mandatory but I did tell Sumire that I’d go to a session, and well…” Akira looked around searchingly, “…snacks.”

Maruki looked at him for a moment before his downcast face turned into one of humour. “You really are trying to get as much out of this as it’s worth, aren’t you, Kurusu-kun?” Maruki chuckled as he moved over to a nearby chest fridge, withdrawing some drinks and some cookies.

“Do you happen to have any preference for drinks?” Maruki placed them on the table, a small selection for Akira to choose from. “I have come cold-brew coffee, apple juice, and some chocolate milk,” he motioned to the three along with some misshapen and lumpy cookies.

Akira picked up the apple juice.

“Oh? I’d have thought you’d have gone for the coffee given you said you frequent a café,” Maruki murmured.

Akira shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “No offence meant Doc, but I’m very particular with my coffee,” he smirked as he picked up one of the misshapen cookies, slightly surprised by how heavy and hefty it was. “These are… interesting…”

Maruki smiled, “Given this was my first day, I’d thought I’d buy some treats for students that came. I decided to go to a local bakery that sold packaged cookies,” Maruki explained but grimaced as Akira opened one, a normal white bit with pink bits spread throughout, “Admittedly, they’re quite rough and their sugar content…”

Akira took a bite and immediately recoiled. It was a nice strawberry-chip cookie, and very hefty in volume as well while still being quite soft but… it tasted like that single bite had a cup's worth of sugar in it. He quickly placed the cookie down and drank half of his apple juice.

“…is quite high,” Maruki finished lamely, watching Akira’s scrunched up face.

“…Maybe I should’ve gone for the chocolate milk,” Akira muttered as he placed down the cookie, wrapping it back up. “So… how do we do this…?” he looked at Maruki questioningly.

“Well… there are several ways we can do this, so you’re free to choose whichever choice you want,” Maruki pulled out a blank piece of paper and a clipboard. “I can ask some questions which you’re more than welcome to skip, we could talk until you’re ready to discuss whatever problems you might have, or you could even just take your snacks and leave.”

Akira rose a brow. “That last one doesn’t seem like something you should be offering as a counsellor,” Akira stated bluntly, but his words just made Maruki give a small smile and shake his head.

“Quite the contrary, in fact, forcing someone to share their problems as I said earlier is more of a detriment than anything,” the school counsellor explained. “Even if it’s mandatory for you to attend, I’m more than willing to allow you to leave and just say you’ve attended if you don’t want to.”

“I see…” Akira nodded understandingly.

“Do you have any preference on how you’d like this to go Kurusu-kun,” Maruki asked patiently.

Akira just shrugged. “I’m not all too fussed to be truthful, it’d feel wrong if I’d just up and left with my snack though,” he said taking another sip of his juice.

“Okay… then how about I ask some questions until you’re satisfied or you feel like opening up? Of course, as I said, you’re free to skip any questions you don’t wish to answer,” Maruki offered patiently.

“Works for me.”

“Wonderful… now… where to begin…” Maruki nodded before murmuring to himself in thought. “How have you been since the incident with Suzui-san?” he probed gently, an inquisitive look to him.

Akira gave him a look, “Going straight to the issue?”

“Do you not want to talk about it?”

“No, not at all, I just found it amusing,” Akira reclined into the plush seat of the nurse’s office. “I… don’t feel anything now, I suppose. What happened, happened.”

Maruki looked at him questioningly, quietly dissecting his statement. “Then… what about at the time with the suicide attempt? What made you jump after Suzui-san? For all intents and purposes, she was simply another student,” Maruki asked further.

“Is there something wrong with stopping a suicide?” Akira asked questioningly, a slight edge to his voice.

“The opposite, it’s quite admirable. I’m simply curious as to what motivated you to do such a thing,” Maruki was taken aback slightly but quickly laughed it off. “Most people’s self-preservation instincts would cause one to question such an act. From the report Mr. Ushimaru gave me, however, you didn’t seem to hesitate in bolting from your desk and leaving the classroom without so much as a by your word. I’m curious why that wasn’t the case with you…”

“…”

Akira sat in the chair pensively in thought, recalling that moment. He’d been in class at the time, and he didn’t even consciously remember that Shiho was going to kill herself. It was only thanks to the fact that the Lovers Arcana, a facet of his own self, _revolted_ and forced him into action.

“You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to,” Maruki said but stopped himself when Akira shook his head.

“No… I suppose… a part of me… couldn’t stand the fact of knowing what was going to happen and not do anything,” Akira said slowly, hesitantly.

“Hmm…” Maruki hummed as he wrote onto his clipboard. “Even at the expense of your own health you were determined to do something. That’s quite admirable, Kurusu-kun,” he praised, something which Akira took in stride and let it disappear.

“Actually, this wasn’t the first time that you’d been in an accident,” Maruki sat up, placing his elbows onto his knees as he looked at Akira. “Just a little over a month and a half ago, you saved Kasumi Yoshizawa, Yoshizawa-san’s sister, correct?”

Akira nodded quietly, curious as to where he was going to take this conversation.

“My apologies if this is an invasion of privacy, but Yoshizawa-san informed me that at the time of the incident you were grievously injured,” Maruki looked as Akira with concern. “In fact, your recovery period should have left you still recovering at the time of the incident with Suzui-san.”

Akira stayed quiet.

“Would you permit me to make an observation, Kurusu-kun?” Maruki asked, his brows furrowing. “It may not be a kind one, and while it’s one I believe you should hear, I’ll only make it with your permission.”

He could feel something small and ugly swell beneath his chest, urging him to say no. Akira let out a heavy sigh and slumped into the chair. “…Go ahead, doctor.”

“Thank you… Kurusu-kun… for allowing me to ask this,” Maruki nodded but his tone was heavy. “Did… did something happen to you prior to the incident with Yoshizawa-san?”

Akira looked at him for a moment, before inclining his head for Maruki to continue his observation.

“Well, with what you’ve told me about yourself and the information given to me by outside sources… Kurusu-kun, I wouldn’t say that you have little self-preservation instincts… I’d actually hazard to say that you have _no_ self-preservation instincts…”

Akira stilled at that, his face morphing into one of reflective introspection.

“It’s unnatural for a person to have such little care for themselves unless they’re extremely distorted,” Maruki continued. Even though he could tell Akira was deep in thought, and as much as he was a stranger to the teen, he felt this was something the needed to be addressed or at least known. “The only way for a person to become this distorted is to either be born in such a way… or something have happened to them…”

Maruki stared patiently at Akira as the teen found himself quickly getting lost in thought.

Was… he really that self-destructive? He thought back on how he’d essentially thrown himself into the path of an oncoming truck for Kasumi Yoshizawa, which without his Persona adding him, would’ve turned the two of them into paste. Doctor Hisegawa had outright stated that it was a miracle that they were alive, and even with Ongyo-Ki having a physical resistance, half of Akira’s ribs had been shattered on impact or outright destroyed.

Then considering Shiho’s suicide, he’d taken the barest amount of precaution of jumping after Shiho and taking the impact between the two of them while he was still recovering. Sure, he’d used a Marakukaja on the both of them, and used Dia to heal some of his wounds, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d essentially thrown himself onto death’s doorstep.

He hadn’t noticed until now, but… something was wrong with him.

Akira came to a decision as he looked at Maruki.

“Does… does what I say in this room stay confidential?” Akira asked hesitantly, letting the calm façade he wore fall. It felt like a weight fell onto his shoulders.

Maruki’s eyes widened as the sudden change in the teen, but rather than saying anything he placed down his clipboard before standing up and walking over to the door. With a quiet click, he locked the doorknob ensuring no one could enter by accident. “Not a word will leave this room,” Maruki said as he sat back down and gave Akira his full undivided attention.

Akira sighed, trying to figure out where to start. He didn’t even know what he was doing, even telling someone about this was stupid, but…

COLD

He fingered his pendant, it’s comforting coldness suffusing into him, calming his beating heart. Akira’s breathing quickened slightly as he thought over everything that happened.

“Three years ago…” Akira swallowed as he closed his eyes, taking a deep shuddering breath and leaned into the chair. “Three years ago… I lost everyone I cared about.”

Maruki sat quietly as Akira began.

“I don’t want to say how, but… three years ago everyone I knew, everyone I cared about, everyone I loved… died,” Akira exhaled slowly, the weight of an entire dead world pushing him down. “I watched as they died… one by one. They disappeared from my life in a matter of moments until I was left with nothing… until I was left alone…”

“I-I don’t think I came out of it whole…” Akira admitted, swallowing the lump in his throat as a tear pricked his eye. “I never got over it… and I still don’t think I have…” he said taking a deep breath as he opened his eyes and looked at Maruki.

“You said that I don’t have a sense of self-preservation… I think you’re right,” he gave a brittle shaky smile. “Kasumi Yoshizawa was an accident that happened so fast… but Shiho… the only thing that went through my mind was that I _needed_ to save her,” Akira tried to explain.

“One of my friends… one that I lost… she had a friend like Shiho who tried to kill herself… she almost succeeded,” Akira said, his vision turning misty as he thought about Ann. “Even though she never said anything, she was broken over it for a while… I’d sometimes see her with a faraway look in her eyes and I’d always know she was thinking of how her friend tried to kill herself…”

“When Shiho tried to commit suicide… a part of me, the one that cared for the friend I’d lost… I don’t think it could stand that happening again…” Akira whispered. “It didn’t care about what happened to me… only that Shiho survived.”

Maruki’s patient observation shifted as alarm filled his gut, even still, he continued to listen to Akira’s story.

“That day when Shiho jumped, my only priority was to make sure she survived and came out better than… came out of it largely uninjured… hehe...” Akira gave a watery self-deprecating laugh as he looked at Maruki and shook his head.

“I think… that’s as much as I want to share for today… I'm sorry...” Akira said quietly, allowing his calm façade to rise back up. The weight of the world vanished as the pain in his chest eased.

Maruki was once more alarmed at the sudden change in Akira’s emotional state.

“You’re not okay… are you, Kurusu-kun? You haven’t been for a while…” Maruki asked sadly, looking at the evidently hurting teen that he’d just met, but had already bared what seemed to be one of his biggest held secrets.

“No… I don’t think I am… but… at least I know that now…” Akira said quietly, leaning back into the plush chair. The nurse’s office fell into a contemplative silence.

“Kurusu-kun… do you still wish to continue this counselling session?” Maruki asked hesitantly. He didn’t want to allow Akira to leave but pushing a student that was already emotionally compromised and judging by the teen’s own words had developed a form of dissociative identity disorder due to survivor’s guilt, would end with disastrous consequences.

Akira took a deep breath.

“No,” he said firmly, even as much as he wanted to kick down the door and run, he needed to… do _something_ about this. “I think I want to continue…”

Maruki looked at him in concern. “Would… if you don’t want to talk…. would you mind if I make some more observations?”

“Go ahead…” Akira said quietly looking off into space.

Maruki gave him another glance before taking a deep breath to gather his thoughts. “I noticed earlier that… you seem to have a fondness for patting Yoshizawa-san…” he said looking at the teen.

“…I’d never noticed,” Akira admitted softly.

“It was only something I noticed in passing but after your… admission,” Maruki skirted around the topic warily, afraid he might trigger something in the teen. He let out an internal sigh of relief as he noticed Akira still looking into space. “You’ve developed a close… relationship with Yoshizawa-san… do you have anyone else like that in your life?”

Akira’s first thought was Goro.

He nodded.

“Do you happen to make it a habit of keeping physical contact...?” Maruki asked.

Akira thought about it for a moment. He’d sometimes pat Goro on the back, or when he’d noticed he was crying when he’d presented him with those gloves a year ago his first instinct was to shake him.

“Yes…”

“I see…” Maruki sighed as he finally understood how emotionally fractured the teen was. “With those you’ve become close to… you make it a habit to make sure they’re still with you… you keep close physical contact to make sure that they’re still alive, don’t you?”

“…” Akira hadn’t noticed that.

“I’m glad you’ve decided to confide in me with this Kurusu-kun…” Maruki said truthfully, but his face held no small amount of concern as he looked at the teen. “I’d suggest you keep close to Yoshizawa-san and the people you’re close to… from what I’ve observed the seem to act as anchors for you…”

“Anchors…?” Akira looked curiously at the brown-haired counsellor.

Maruki nodded, internally happy that Akira seemed to be in the here and now rather than where he’d been inside his head. “They seem to be people that you’ve attached yourself to, they make you happy and help you heal while keeping you in the present…” Maruki nodded.

His words did seem to ring true to Akira.

“Your problem… For now, I’d suggest you keep close to Yoshizawa-san…” Maruki scolded himself as he suggested that, unable to suggest more. “I’m sorry that I forced you to bring up horrible memories…”

“No…” Akira shook his head as he stood up, “You were only doing your job as a counsellor… it might not have been what you wanted… but I think I needed to know that something was wrong with me… this might have been something I needed...” he said softly.

Maruki nodded downcast as he also stood up. He walked over to the door and unlocked it. “Kurusu-kun,” he turned around to address the teen.

Akira looked at him.

“My office is always free for you to visit if you choose to do so. Anything you wish to discuss will naturally be placed under doctor-patient confidentiality,” Maruki offered gently as he pulled out his phone. “If you’d like I can offer my contact information if you wish to contact me,” he held it out and was surprised that Akira actually accepted.

“I think I’d like that… thank you for your help Doctor,” Akira smiled.

Maruki nodded but found himself disconcerted by how easily the teen was able to mask his emotions. No… he didn’t mask them… he simply showed a side of himself that wasn’t emotionally compromised.

“If you ever need me, I’ll do everything in my power to lend you my support,” Maruki stated as he took his phone back before holding out his hand.

“I’ll… be taking you up on that Doctor,” Akira stared at his hand for a moment before shaking it.

Akira stilled as he felt the sound of wind blow around him as time came to a stand-still.

**I am thou, thou art I…**

**Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

**It shall become the wings of rebellion**

**that shall free thy shattered soul.**

**With the birth of the Councillor Persona,**

**I have obtained the winds of blessing that**

**shall lead to freedom and new power…**

So… that was how it was, huh?

Maruki opened the door allowing Akira to exit.

Akira found himself coming face to face with two orbs of red, Sumire and Rem looking at him in surprise.

* * *

Rem groaned as she cracked her back, her vertebrae popping as she looked over the message she received from Ann.

 **Ann:** Well, I went in for counselling.

 **Ann:** You’re going soon too, right, Rem?

 **Rem:** Yeah

 **Rem:** How’d it go?

**Ann:** Hmm… Well, it honestly wasn’t as rough as I was expecting.

 **Ann:** I think you should just go and give it a shot.

 **Ann:** Dr. Maruki’s easier to talk to than you’d think.

 **Ann:** Okay, well I’ll leave you to it. See you tomorrow!

Rem tucked away her phone, Morgana popping out of her bag.

“Miss Kawakami said you should go to a counselling session, today didn’t she?” Morgana asked curiously. “That’s in the nurse’s office in the Practice building, right? I’ll just pass some time in the area until you’re done.”

“You could always hide in my bag,” Rem offered.

Morgana gave her an almost offended look. “Do you know how hot it gets in there? I’d pass out!”

“Fine…” Rem muttered as she made her way to the front entrance to let Morgana roam free before heading back inside and over to the practice building.

She found herself surprised as she saw a familiar head of red, the girl with the straight hair that always seemed to be hanging around Akira was milling just outside of the nurse’s office.

“Oh… hello…” the red-haired girl said quietly as she took notice of Rem, “Are you here for a session as well?”

Rem nodded. “Are you waiting for one as well?” she asked curiously.

The red-haired girl shook her head. “Actually, I’m waiting for my friend. I was told he went in not too long ago,” she admitted.

Rem rose a brow. “You’re really close to Akira, aren’t you?” she asked.

The red-haired girl looked at her stunned, a red blush blossoming across her face. “H-How did you know I was waiting for Akira-senpai!?”

Rem just shrugged. “Every time I see him outside of class or the café, you’re always basically clinging to him,” she stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Her words caused the redhead's face to turn to an atomic-level shade of blush.

“W-Wha-?”

She didn’t get to say anything further as the door to the nurse’s room opened, and the two found themselves looking as the source of their admittedly short discussion. “Sumire?” Akira asked as he looked down at the blushing red-head, her blush quickly dying down in front of her friend but not fading all the way. “Were you waiting for me?”

The redheaded nodded. “I’d thought you’d like to walk home together,” she said softly.

Akira shrugged, a hand drifting to the top of her head. “More than fine with me,” he nodded before looking at Doctor Maruki, “I’ll come back another time, if that’s okay with you?”

Doctor Maruki nodded, “I’ll be ready when you wish to come back.”

Nodding, Akira departed with the redhead close to his side.

Rem looked at Maruki now that the two were gone. “What say we get started?” Maruki asked as he motioned to the open door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha you thought it would be all fun and games with Maruki?! So had I!
> 
> Yeah, while I was writing, I just wrote to fill in the word count, but then I actually started to go somewhere and was like, well… this wasn’t where I wanted it to go but I guess this is where I’m going with Maruki and Akira.
> 
> Honestly, I’ve been building up to this for a while, but I wasn’t expecting to end up it being Maruki that Akira revealed it to that he was fractured but it seemed sort of sensible the Maruki should know since he can sort of identify the Akira has some mental and emotional problems.
> 
> Akira essentially suffers from a multiple-personality disorder stemming from survivor’s guilt. Not in the traditional sense though. Since Akira’s a wild card, he has multiple facets of himself in the form of Persona.
> 
> I was wondering If anyone found it strange that Akira found it difficult to handle his Personas. Like Ongyo-Ki and Kohryuu fought each other to be the one to save Wakaba. Futsunushi manifested for Morgana. The whole Lovers arcana forced him to save Shiho even at the expense of his own health. Metatron almost manifested without Akira’s input when Goro first appeared.
> 
> Been hinting a lot that Akira is a fractured broken mess.
> 
> But yeah, surprise depressing chapter! Leave a comment o what you think and if a made any mistakes that I'll need to rectify at a later date (Probably go back and edit chapters once I hit chapter 20)
> 
> For the next week and a bit, or at least till the 22nd, won't be writing because need to focus on a bunch of coding assignment I've been putting off


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knew that my bad habits of doing my coding assignments and learning a month’s worth of content in three days would actually help me? Finished the first checkpoint of my coding assignment in like 3 hours, excluding the two hours of watching a recorded lecture.
> 
> I’ve decided that for each checkpoint I finish, I’ll take a break and write a chapter, so here you are folks. Priorities, amiright?

Rem felt the slightest bit of fatigue as she rubbed her eyelids while waiting for the morning train to arrive. The previous day had been filled with a fair bit of activities: the morning exam, the mid-day exam, the emergency assembly introducing Doctor Maruki, having a counselling session and getting diabetes from his cookies, then studying until evening left Rem feeling just a bit more tired than usual.

“Aauuuuu-rgh,” someone approached her from behind while yawning. It didn’t take much for Rem to realise it was Ryuji, especially considering the sound of his footsteps alternating between a heavy limp and light step. “Morning Rem,” Ryuji greeted fighting back another yawn with a slump, “I’m so sleepy…”

Rem shook her head as she watched him rub his eyelids. “Let me guess… pulled an all-nighter trying to study, gave up, and did something else with your time till morning?” Rem hazarded a guess while raising a brow. Something told her she was right judging by how Ryuji just stared at her slackjawed before slumping over.

“Am I really that easy to figure out?” Ryuji muttered despairingly. “Yeah, ended up pullin’ an all-nighter once I realised today’s the last day of exams…gave up after like ten minutes to play some games instead, before I knew it, it was morning.”

Rem’s brow rose just a little higher at that. “You stayed up _all_ night? Like, not even a little bit of sleep?”

Ryuji looked at her confusedly, “Well, yeah? What’d ya think I meant?”

“Like staying up until twelve, maybe one or two then falling asleep?” Rem admitted while looking at Ryuji appraisingly, “I’m amazed you’re even functioning.”

Morgana chose that time to pop out of her bag. “Uh… I don’t think he is…” Morgana said as they both watched Ryuji’s head bob slightly up and down, his eyelids fluttering.

“How manly…” Rem muttered as she just continued to watch in amusement as Ryuji slowly fell asleep standing up in the middle of Shibuya Station. Or at least he was till another person approached them, yawning and exhausted just like Ryuji.

“*yawn* Morning…” Ann greeted despondently, eyes half-lidded as she approached the two.

Ryuji seemed to have just enough energy to poke fun at Ann somehow. “Look who else is yawnin’…” Ryuji grinned before yawning himself which then caused another round of yawns to emanate from Ann.

“Would you *yawn* stop that…” Ann half-heartedly swatted at Ryuji before shrugging. “Exams are almost over, so I thought I’d make one last effort over the finish line,” she said tiredly.

“At least after this, we can have a rest,” Rem nodded, slightly excited to just do nothing for the rest of the afternoon and evening except sleeping the day away. Hopefully…

“You’re tellin’ me,” Ryuji retorted his mouth struggling to stay closed and not yawn again, “I could sleep like a rock after these exams.”

“If anything, you might as well be a rock…” Morgana winced as he watched Ryuji fail and get swatted once more.

“You wanna fight?” Ryuji crouched down, fully ready to throw hands at Morgana.

Rem shook her head as she flicked Morgana on the nose causing him to recoil and hide away back in her bag. “You’re trying to throw down with a cat, Ryuji… in the middle of a trains station. It’s too early for this…” Rem admonished, Ryuji backing down quickly now that Morgana had wisely retreated in fear of another nose-flick.

Ann gave Rem an appreciative smile, “Thanks Rem, I swear if they continued I would’ve forgotten everything I’d memorised last nigh- huh?” Ann suddenly stopped mid-sentence and turned around searchingly.

**!**

Rem felt as if someone was staring at her.

“Am I imagining things…?” Ann murmured, but not quiet enough that Rem couldn’t hear her.  
  
“No… I felt it as well,” Rem shook her head looking around. Her eyesight quickly fell on a tall blue-haired male teen staring directly at them. She grabbed Ann by the shoulder and turned her around so they wouldn’t meet the teen’s eyes. “By the stairs, blue hair. Wearing a white long-sleeved shirt,” Rem whispered to Ann as she moved them both closer to Ryuji who just stared at them in confusion.

“Wha’ the hell are you two doin’?” he muttered rubbing the back of his head as he watched his two friends act weirdly. Rem didn’t say anything while Ann looked to the side, waiting for the train to come. Ryuji just shrugged as the train quickly arrived, the three swiftly shuffling on alongside the other passengers waiting.

Rem and Ann were both acutely aware of how the teen had also boarded the train on another carriage. All too soon, the train arrived at Aoyama-Itchome station and the three disembarking and making their way to school.

It was as they were ascending the station escalators that Rem felt the piercing gaze return. A pull on the back of her blazer showed that Ann had noticed it as well. “He got off…” Ann whispered worriedly, holding onto the back of her blazer tightly, “…isn’t this bad?”

Rem just gave the blue-head of hair just slightly above the height of the average Japanese citizen a glance. Ryuji, on the other hand, seemed like he couldn’t care less as he simply yawned.

“Hey, at least act like you care!” Ann looked down at him crossly, eyes peering down at him in annoyance.

Ryuji just shrugged, more exhausted than anything to care. “Fine…” he muttered as he walked ahead of the two and ascended the escalators. “You two just wait over there or somethin’ and I’ll stop this guy from comin’, cool?” Ryuji asked.

Rem quickly agreed, dragging Ann by the arm gently and stood in the spot that Ryuji motioned in the general direction of while Ryuji stood off to the side. It didn’t take long before Rem felt Ann stiffen by her side, a small prickling feeling appearing on the back of her neck as she felt someone gaze intently at them.

Ann’s hand clutched her wrist tightly. The two of them listened as the footsteps approached closer and closer, then Ryuji stepped in silently.

“Uh… You two sure it’s this guy?” Ryuji questioned as he looked the blue-haired teen up and down. If he had to say… the guy was actually surprisingly good-looking if a tad beanstalk-like. Rem and Ann turned around to look at the blue-haired teen with their own eyes.

The teen cocked his head to this side with curiosity. “Is there something you want?” he asked politely causing Rem to raise a brow and Ann to growl.

“You’ve been following us since Shibuya, we should be the ones asking you that,” Rem crossed her arms, looking distinctly unimpressed.

“Why have you been stalking us?!” Ann asked, a dainty finger pointed directly at the teens face, his grey eyes following the manicured nail down to its owner.

“Stalking you…? That’s outrageous,” the teen denied calmly.

“You say that… but the evidence says otherwise. Both of us saw you,” Rem stared the teen down, even if she was shorter than him.

The blue-haired teen seemed slightly taken aback by Rem’s slightly-aggressive attitude. “That’s because-” he tried to explain but was cut off by the sound of a car honking its horn and a black sedan pulling up to the side, the four of them looking towards it.

The back-seat window slowly rolled down smoothly, revealing its occupant to be an elderly man with long white-hair drawn pack in a ponytail. “My goodness… I had wondered why you left the car,” the elderly man stated looking directly at the blue-haired teen. “So this is where your passion led,” his eyesight turned to Ann and Rem, Rem feeling slightly unsettled beneath his gaze, “Well, all is well that ends well.”

“I saw you from the car… and I couldn’t help myself from chasing after you,” the blue-haired teen explained as the elderly man began to chuckle. “I didn’t even notice the calls from Sensei… but thank goodness, I caught up to you.”

“Okay…” Ann muttered disconcerted while Rem allowed a fine black brow to raise itself, her overall impression of the teen still being that of unimpressed.

Ryuji hung as head in confusion as he looked at the strange guy. “What?”

The teen seemed to gain a slightly manic gleam in his eye. “You two are the women I’ve been searching for all this time! Please won’t you two-”

Rem felt herself be stunned at the sheer brazenness of the teen in front of her. Her strangely fluctuating aggression levels didn’t seem to have a problem however, as her fist clenched ready to punch the teen.

“W-Wait a minute! I-I-” Ann sputtered as Rem’s fist rocketed forth.

“-be the next models for my art piece!?” he pleaded eccentrically.

Rem blinked.

And slowly retracted her fist that was a few centimetres away from having broken the teen’s nose.

“…What?” Rem asked dumbfounded.

“Model?” Ann was in a similar state.

“All that I’ve drawn till now have been lacking, but I feel a passion from the both of you unlike anyone else!” the teen spouted as he looked between Ann and Rem. “Two contrasting beauties, red and black, blue and blonde! Truly, this is a fortuitous moment indeed!”

Rem continued to stare dumbfounded.

This was certainly a new one.

* * *

“Finally done with exams…”

“Hey, are you gonna go in for counselling?”

“I saw the volleyball guys getting called in…”

“Oh shit, I got that question wrong…”

“I know, right? I feel like I have to protect that teacher!”

The last round of the usual school gossip had Akira raise a brow as he walked through the corridors following the final rounds of exams. “Huh… Doctor Maruki has a surprising following among the female students, weird…” Akira noted aloud.

“It is… strange… to hear people talk about Doctor Maruki like that…” Sumire admitted as they made their way outside the school gates. “I hadn’t expected Doctor Maruki to have become so popular…”

Akira shrugged. “Well… I guess the female students needed a new male teacher to replace Kamoshida for them to ogle.”

“Akira-senpai!” Sumire shouted, scandalised as his words

Akira looked at the blush that formed on her face, a small amount of amusement flittering across his face. “What? You can’t tell me that doesn’t seem like the most logical reason…” he stated.

Sumire looked down, her face slowly blazing as she imagined students ogling the councillor she’d been lucky to receive help from. “It’s so weird to think about people doing that to Doctor Maruki… now that I think about it, I overheard some of my classmates talking about him…” she said shivering at the thought.

Akira couldn’t help himself but laugh, a small adorable pout forming on Sumire’s face as she looked up at him. “Senpai!” she admonished, the pout still on her face but tugging into something of a smile as Akira laughed.

“Sorry, sorry,” Akira apologised as he pet the top of Sumire’s hair, “You were looking a bit cute there…”

Sumire’s face turned as red as her hair. “A-Akira-senpai…! D-Don’t say something like that!” she squeaked, heart hammering in her chest, hands fidgeting with the hem of her skirt while Akira just laughed.

The moment was cut short as Akira’s phone jingled in his pocket. He rose a brow while Sumire fought to get her blush under control, his hand snaking its way into his pocket and withdrawing, the screen displaying a message from Goro.

 **Goro:** Check your email.

Akira rose a brow perplexed but nonetheless followed his instructions. He opened the mail app on his phone and found an email from Goro. It didn’t have any title or content except for a single file.

Akira clicked on it.

He stared for a single moment before closing the email app and called Goro. It took all of six seconds before the line established and Goro’s voice resounded from the receiver. “I see you got my email…” Akira could just _hear_ the smugness in the bastard’s voice.

Akira took a deep breath, unsure of how to feel. “Can you please explain to me…” Akira hissed, Sumire looking at him in concern, “…exactly _why_ I have a pair of VIP tickets to Ichiryusai Madarame’s next gallery exhibit in Ueno sitting in my inbox?”

“Well…” Goro drawled, Akira almost able to see that little pretentious smile sitting on his face, “…one of my… contacts… decided to give me them since he had little care for exhibits. Unfortunately, because of a certain ‘someone,’ I’m currently inundated with not only the Mental Shutdown case but also the case of one Suguru Kamoshida.”

Akira had the decency to wince as Goro emphasised ‘someone’. And he could imagine exactly who had given him the tickets judging from the disdain that laced Goro’s voice.

“Unfortunately, as much as I’d _love_ to look at some truly boring paintings for the better part of who knows how long, I have a meeting tomorrow with Nijima-san. But then a thought occurred to me…” Goro’s drawled insinuatingly “…I have a friend who should be taking it easy after coming from an accident, and what better way to do that than having him stare at paintings for a couple of hours while dying inside?”

“…this is a weird and unusual punishment from you,” Akira stated with an amused huff.

“It’s the best I could come up within about ten minutes…” Goro admitted, “…and since there are two tickets, you can bring Yoshizawa-san along with you, the two of you certainly seem close. You could go in the morning, have lunch and Leblanc and maybe do something together in the evening. Make a day out of it,” Goro said suggestively.

Akira had to take a moment to just take in his suggestion. “You just want Sumire with me to ensure I don’t do anything stupid, don’t you?” he asked dryly.

“She seems to be the only one with brain cells between the two of you. If you go on your own I’d likely found myself receiving another call from Doctor Hisegawa saying you’re missing the bones in your legs,” Goro snarked with exasperation.

“I’m touched at the amount of faith you have in me…” Akira said sarcastically, “…fine. I’ll take the damn tickets.”  
  
“…I’ll be giving Shinichi-san a call tomorrow to ensure that Yoshizawa-san accompanies you.”

“I hate you…” Akira jabbed, a brow twitching in annoyance as a demented smile appeared on his face

“Love you too,” Goro sang throwing his own words back at him, Akira slightly miffed at the fact he’d had the gall them against him. With a sigh, he clicked off his phone and looked up to find Sumire staring at him quizzically, wondering at what the call had been about. Akira just looked down at his email inbox at the two VIP tickets to Madarame’s exhibition that he’d honestly forgotten about. At least he’d be able to keep an eye on Rem and the others now that he thought about it. He showed the tickets to Sumire.

“How do you feel about going to an art exhibit tomorrow?”

The beaming smile that appeared on Sumire’s face could have blinded him with its radiance.

* * *

“Oh my,” Sumire muttered as she gazed around at the variety of paintings, Akira standing by her side, looking at paintings he’d not seen in years. The two were essentially given free rein to look around, special lanyards around their necks signifying that they were VIPS.

“I can’t believe Akechi-san was able to get these,” she looked around starstruck. “Why wouldn’t he want to come here?” she wondered.

“Goro’s not exactly one I’d call a ‘fine arts’ person,” Akira shrugged, his eyesight catching two familiar blonds and a head of braided-hair in the corner of his eye. “He’s more into trendy things, but that’s more because he wants to keep up-to-date with the latest trends. He does have a liking for jazz and a stupid obsession for pancakes though,” Akira stated as they walked around the art exhibit.

“Pancakes?” Sumire turned around and looked at him curiously.

Akira looked at her helplessly, “I’ve known him for two years now and I don’t think I’ve come any closer to figuring out his obsession.”

“I wouldn’t have expected that from someone such as Akechi-san… then again, whenever I see him on TV is completely different to how I see him interact with you,” Sumire noted, a slightly faraway look in her eye.

“That’s just everyday Akechi for you,” Akira said as they continued to walk around but stopped as they saw the ‘painter’ of the many exhibits around the place. Akira noticed Ryuji standing by himself listening in.

His brow rose, slightly mystified as to why he was alone. Shouldn’t Rem have been with him?

“Oh, isn’t that Madarame-san?” Sumire asked as she took notice of the legendary artist. “Would you mind if we listen in Senpai?” she asked, looking at him for permission.

“Feel free to lead the way, I’m more than happy to follow you,” Akira nodded earning himself a radiant smile, and Sumire trotting off to the side with a spring in her step to listen in on the interview being conducted, Akira right behind her.

“We continue to be truly surprised by your imagination,” the interviewer gushed as she and a colleague interviewed Madarame, a cameraman behind them with a camera hefted onto his shoulder and recording the three. “You have such expansive styles, it’s hard to believe that it all stems from one person…” she continued, “…where in the world does all your inspiration come from?”

Akira leaned against a nearby wall, watching the interview while Sumire leaned in eagerly, her rapt attention focused solely on the interview. Akira noticed Ryuji stroll closer to Madarame.

“Well… it’s rather difficult to put into words…” Madarame said, a hand scratching at his beard. “They naturally well up from within my heart like bubbles rising one after another in the spring.”

“That’s amazing…” Sumire whispered, Akira looking at her in amusement.

“I didn’t know you were so taken by the fine arts,” Akira cocked his head as Sumire shook her own.

“I’m not crazy over it but I can appreciate some nice artworks at times,” Sumire admitted her attention shifting to Akira but a small part still listening in. “It’s fascinating that so many different types of artworks can come only from Madarame-san… it’s amazing if you think about it.”

Akira inclined his head but internally he couldn’t help but shake. If only she knew the truth behind the various artworks on display.

“Naturally, you say?” the interviewer asked intrigued.

“What’s important is to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame,” Madarame spoke. “My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty.”

The interviewer nodded along with his words, “I see… so that act of emptying one’s mind gives rise to inner beauty. Still, to think that we could hear the word ‘shack’ coming from the great artist Madarame.”

“You would understand if you saw it…” Madarame chuckled, his voice full of mirth.

Akira heard footsteps increase from all around the exhibition area. His hand shot out and grasped Sumire’s, her face looking at him startled and a small blush forming. “S-Senpai…?” she stuttered as she looked at him.

“We might want to leave right about now… it’s about to get a little crowded…” Akira pulled Sumire close to him, an arm wrapping around her waist as he guided her out of the way of the rapidly forming crowd that had taken notice of Madarame.

“Madarame-san is actually here!?”

“Over there!”

“I’m so glad I came on opening day!”

Soon a stampede was forming, the two pushing their way through, Akira being the bulwark while holding onto Sumire behind him.

“Th-Thank you senpai!” Sumire thanked as they arrived at the exhibit centre entrance, her breathing slightly heavy from having to move through such a large crowd and having been held tightly to Akira’s chest. She shook away the small blush that tried to form once more.

“Don’t worry about it,” Akira shook his head. His attention drifted from Sumire, however, as he noticed a certain blonde struggling to pull himself free of the crowd but found himself trapped within. “Excuse me for a moment,” Akira said, detaching himself from Sumire and heading over to Ryuji.

“Hey, stop pushin’!” Ryuji grunted. He found himself surprised as someone grabbed onto the back of his purple hoodie and bodily dragged him free of the encroaching crowd. “Wha-?” his sputtered as he was hauled off the ground and free of the foot traffic.

His found touched the ground as his hand fell to his knees, propping himself up. “Th-Thank for that…” Ryuji thanked before looking up and finding himself looking at a pair of grey and red eyes, both looking slightly familiar. “H-Hey… ain’t you that guy that saved Suzui? Kurusu or something? You’re in Ann and Rem’s class ain'tcha?” Ryuji asked as he realised where he’d seen the pair.

The male was the one that had tried to save Shiho but ended up falling along with her when the wire fence holding them tore, the teen using his own body to prevent Shiho from getting too hurt. If he remembered correctly, the girl beside him was the one that went with him to the hospital in the ambulance.

“Akira Kurusu, Class 2-D,” Akira introduced himself as a hand found itself to the top of Sumire’s head. “This is Sumire Yoshizawa, first year. We’re both students as Shujin Academy.”

It hurt to see Ryuji look at him with a lack of familiarity.

COLD

“Oh yeah, ain’t the two of you those new transfers along with Rem?” Ryuji scratched the back of his head before his eyes widened. “Shoot, I need to find Rem and Ann!” his face fell as he’d realised he’d forgotten them, “Thank for the help man but I gotta go!”

Ryuji was gone in a matter of seconds, looking around the now partially empty exhibit centre due to the fact that the mass congregation had left a large swathe of open space allowing easy access. “That was kind of you senpai,” Sumire said as they watched the teen run around, “It’s sad we won’t be able to hear more from Madarame…”

“You can always see it in the news since it was being recorded,” Akira stated. “That being said… how do you feel about getting some lunch? It’s just past twelve now…” he asked looking at his phone showing that it was just twelve-thirty.

“I’d love too, but…” Sumire’s face grimaced as they looked at the torrential downpour outside having started in the morning, “I’m not sure what places would be open in this kind of weather.”

“Don’t worry,” Akira grinned slightly excited, “I know the perfect place in this kind of weather.”

* * *

“Good afternoon- holy crap kid, you look like a drowned sewer rat,” Sojiro looked at Akira wide-eyed, the teen shaking an umbrella that _should_ have stopped him from looking as if he’d walked from the station without anything over his head.

A head of red popped out from behind him, a girl smiling nervously, not a single drop on her.

Sojiro sighed.

“I’ll go get some spare towels and set you up with some coffee before you catch a cold,” he shook his head. “Take a seat you two… don’t think I’m not going to be grilling you with some questions though brat,” Sojiro smirked, this being the first time that Akira had brought a girl over. Smoothly, he slipped from around the counter and moved over to the bathroom adjacent to the restroom.

“You shouldn’t have done that senpai, you’ll catch a cold now!” Sumire tittered over Akira worriedly. The umbrella he’d brought hadn’t been enough to cover the both of them, so rather than doing the sensible thing and sharing, he’d instead opted to hold over Sumire who’d tried to get him to hold it over himself as well the whole way from Yongen-Jaya Station to Leblanc.

She eeped cutely as a white towel went flying through the air, landing on Akira’s head. “Go dry yourself off kid and put your blazer over the heater to dry,” Sojiro ordered to which Akira quickly shucked off his soaking wet jacket and placed in front of the open heater that was keeping Leblanc warm in the face of the rain.

“Sorry for that boss…” Akira apologised as he sat down at a booth, Sumire joining him on the other side. “Do you have any preference?” Akira asked as he noticed her looking at the menu boards above the counter.

“U-Um… uh…” A brief look of panic flashed over Sumire’s face as she continued looking at the board before giving up and looking at Akira, “I-I think I’ll let you order…” she eventually said as Akira towel-dried his hair.

“Boss, can we get two of the daily special and whatever coffee you think would be good for the both of us?” Akira asked, receiving an affirmative from Sojiro.

“Sure thing brat…” Sojiro nodded before giving a look to both him and Sumire. “So… wanna explain why you’d bring your date to a rinky-dink place such as this?”

Sumire’s face exploded into red as she began to sputter incoherently. Akira and Sojiro looked on in amusement as she gave vehement but sadly incoherent denials, to which she quickly caught on that they couldn’t understand her and instead fell silent with a gigantic blush on her face.

“It’s not like that boss,” Akira waved. “We were just at the art exhibition in Ueno earlier and I figured I’d bring her here for lunch since you make the best coffee and curry… unfortunately, my umbrella wasn’t exactly large enough for the both of us…”

Sumire pouted at him. “That’s because you refused to cover yourself, you kept me dry but you’ll get sick at this rate…” she said, looking at his still soaked shirt and pants.

Sojiro just stared at the two. “Uh… hate to break it to the two of you… but… an art exhibition? Lunch in a quaint café? Covering your girl with your umbrella while it’s raining? Do you know what old people like me call that? We call that a date…” Sojiro smirked at Akira, his words causing the blush on Sumire’s face to reignite.

Akira looked at him dryly, which had very little effect since his hair was still drooping little droplets of water. “Are you going to be getting started on our coffee anytime soon?” he asked cause Sojiro to let out a bark of laughter.

“Ha! I’ll get right on it… enjoy yourselves lovebirds…” Sojiro got in the last word before moving behind the counter, making two cups of coffee for his only customers right now.

Akira shook his head despairingly before looking over at Sumire who was still struggling to get her blush under control. “Sorry about boss… he’s a bit…” Akira said lamely, trying to figure out the best word to describe him.

Thankfully, Sumire saved him from having to say anything as she looked at him, red all over but shook her head with a shy smile. “I-it’s fine senpai… I-I think it’s nice seeing you like this…” she murmured.

Akira cocked his head in confusion. “'Like this’?” he asked curiously.

Sumire nodded, her blush slowly fading. “Y-Yes… you don’t really talk to others or smile too often aside from me… it’s nice seeing this side of you,” she admitted.

“Huh…” Akira murmured.

“Well, the kid has been coming here every other day for the last two years,” Sojiro’s deep voice suddenly pierced the air causing Sumire to squeak adorably in surprise as she took notice of the elderly man standing in front of their booth, two cups of coffee in his hands that he quickly placed down.

“Here, this should warm the two of you up…” Sojiro smirked. “So you’re falling for the brat here huh?” Sojiro teased lightly eliciting another blush for the umpteenth time in the past ten minutes. “I’d say you could do better; the brat has a habit of getting himself into accidents.”

“I… I know…” Sumire’s face fell slightly.

Sojiro, being ever sharp quickly realised his mistake as he noticed Akira giving him a slight glare. “Ah shit… I’m sorry bout that…” he apologised but Sumire shook her head with a kind smile.

“No, it’s fine,” Sumire said as her hands cupped the cup of coffee taking in its warmth. “You didn’t know after all…”

Sojiro rubbed the back of his head, putting two and two together. “So… you and your sister are the one’s the brat saved a month ago, huh?” he murmured earning himself a quiet nod. “Huh… guess I can see what you see in him… still say you could do better,” Sojiro shrugged, the atmosphere quickly lightening.

Sumire gave a shy smile as Akira gave him a fond glance.

“Right, I’ll be out with your curry shortly. You lovebirds don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” he gave a backwards wave as he moved into the kitchen.

Once more a blush sprouted on Sumire’s face, Akira watching her sputter while taking a sip of his coffee.

**Faith Arcana - Rank 3!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here’s a quick chapter in the meantime while I work on my assignments. Needed some fluffy shit after last chapter.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with Chapter 18 folks! 
> 
> Couldn’t come up with much in my Authors’s note other than that I managed to finish the second checkpoint somehow and now onto the final checkpoint.
> 
> It sucks tho cause getting bombarded with a second coding assignment along with business assignments. Death x_x

Rem leaned against the railing of the Shibuya station overpass while Ryuji slumped to the floor, off to the side Ann joined them with a bottle of mineral water. “So… how’d it all go on your end? Didn’t he ask the two of you to be his models and whatnot?” Ryuji asked Rem and Ann as he took out his phone and began to scroll through the Phan-Site, the two having been with Yusuke after all while he’d been by himself.

“I still can’t believe that…” Rem shook her head in disgruntlement and the slightest bit of embarrassment. “He just led us around, the paintings were nice and all but I think Ann ended up getting more out of it than I did.”

“Mhmm, we managed to even get his contact information and the address of Madarame’s atelier,” Ann nodded taking a sip from her water.

Ryuji’s head shot up as he looked at Ann in surprise. “You two got what now?!” Ryuji almost shouted but managed to keep his voice down in the bustling Shibuya station. Rem and Ann looked at him in confusion as he pushed his phone forward and proffered the screen to the two.

“Here, look at this,” Ryuji said as they moved closer to take a look at one of the messages on the Phan-Site. “This post feels like it’s about Madarame.”

“'A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil’s work. Only his public face is shown on TV. His treatment of the pupils who live with him are awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats them inhumanely on top of disciplining them like a dog…’” Ann murmured as she read the post, her bright blue eyes widening the longer she continued to read.

“Plagiarism… and abuse on top of that…” Rem muttered, her expression troubled as she reconciled the elderly man and the description of the post. “Nakanohara’s shadow… he asked to change the heart of a person called Madarame, didn’t he?” she asked.

“Mhmm…” Morgana affirmed, popping his head out of her bag and finally joining the conversation. “This is definitely way too much of a coincidence for it not to be talking about Madarame.”

“I wonder if Kitagawa-kun posted this…” Ann murmured in displeasure, chewing her lip as she mulled over the new information. “He is a pupil of Madarame’s after all…”

Ryuji shrugged. “Who knows? It’s anonymous and all,” Ryuji said as he placed his phone back into his pocket. “But, that guy, Kitagawa, he gave his contact info and address, right? Maybe we can pay him a visit tomorrow or somethin’ right after school?”

Rem and Ann stiffened simultaneously as they recalled the modelling offer the teen had given them.

“I’d rather die,” Rem instantly refused.

“Huh?! You want us to model, tomorrow!? Th-This is way too sudden…” Ann stammered slightly at being placed under pressure.

“The heck is up with you two?” Ryuji felt taken aback as he looked at the two polar opposite refusal, one a stammering mess while the other looked like she was trying to burn a hole through the ground with her mind. “We’re just gonna go and talk to Kitagawa, ain’t we?” he looked at them.

Rem seemed to somehow release a large amount of tension from her body, her tight shoulders drooping at Ryuji’s words. “Oh, that’s what you meant…” Ann shook her head, her stutter disappearing as she similarly realised what Ryuji had been implying.

“The heck was up with you, though?” Ryuji quirked an eyebrow at Rem’s odd reaction to visiting Kitagawa.

“Rem hasn’t been all too keen on being near, Kitagawa… you should have seen her earlier…” Morgana grimaced speaking up, recalling the tenseness of her whole body in Yusuke’s presence. While Ann had been more than comfortable and fluttering about like a social butterfly, Rem was the complete opposite in such a social setting, very much out of her comfort zone.

A small realisation dawned on Ryuji as a stupid smirk split his face. “Oh yeah, I forgot about that! Didn’t you almost punch the guy in the face like two minutes after we met him?” he asked with a grin.

Rem gave him a glare. “I thought he was going to ask the both of us out at the same time,” she muttered, her glare turning dark. “If he tries anything this time though…”

Morgana and Ryuji both shivered as was their duty as a male in front of a scorned woman.

“Dude… Rem can be super scary sometimes…” Ryuji murmured, Morgana nodding in agreement. “Makes me want to see that Kitagawa do something stupid though…”

Morgana nodded in agreement once more.

* * *

“So, turns out Doctor Maruki can actually teach classes along with being a counsellor,” Rem commented as the four Phantom Thieves rode the train the following day in the afternoon from Aoyama-Itchome to Shibuya after school had ended.

“What the heck would that guy even teach?” Ryuji questioned as he hung onto one of the handles dangling from the ceiling of the train to keep himself balanced.

“Uh… it seemed like stuff about the mind and all that?” Ann speculated, not having paid attention during class. “The… something about placentas?” Ann guessed, her brow furrowing while Ryuji stared at her dumbfounded.

“Ain’t placentas that thing to do with babies?” Ryuji looked Ann with a disappointed look, Rem shaking her head at the two of them.

“Placentas are an organ the develop in the uterus during pregnancy. And Doctor Maruki, said Placebo… not placenta…” Rem murmured correcting them.

“…That sounds totally gross,” Ryuji allowed a disgusted grimace to cover his face causing Rem to give him a dull look.

“And you wonder why I said you need to learn on how to talk to women…” Rem shook her head in displeasure. “The Placebo Effect that Doctor Maruki was talking about is when your perception can affect your mental and physical health by making things that you believe may help actually help you even if they can’t,” she explained garnering her a surprised look from both Ryuji and Ann.

“You were actually paying attention?” Ann asked surprised.

“Y’know… now that I think about it… you’re actually pretty smart, aren’t you? I thought maybe we’d add another one to our group…” Ryuji muttered, his face downcast.

Rem’s eyes caught his and narrowed. “And what, exactly, are you trying to say?” she asked dangerously causing Ryuji to stiffen like a tree in his spot.

“Nothing!” he all but yelped earning him a small giggle as Ann watched two, Morgana poking his head out of Rem’s bag to snicker as well. “What are you lookin’ at?” Ryuji growled before actually realising that Morgana was out of the bag and they hadn’t actually paid the pet fare.

“Shoot! We didn’t pay the pet fare!” Ryuji cried as he scrambled to push Morgana back into Rem’s back before anyone could take notice.

“Mrrph! I- mrrph am not a pet!” Morgana struggled against Ryuji’s ministration valiantly but ultimately failed due to his status as a cat and therefore lacking any comparable strength to a human. “I am the one guiding you to your destination! If anything, you should be calling me ‘master’!” Morgana yowled as he struggled back out of Rem’s bag.

“ _You’re_ getting a free ride,” Rem corrected Morgana, uncaring as some passengers stared at Morgana but otherwise didn’t care. that there was an animal on the train, simply assuming that they’d paid for its fare, “Ann’s the one with the address to the atelier.”

It seemed that fate had other plans for them as an innocent girl walked up to the trio plus cat. “Ooooh, kitty!” she hummed in delight, Morgana freezing on Rem’s lap in her bag.

“Er, shoot…!” Ann quietly cursed, attention slowly being drawn to them. At this rate, they might draw the attention of a local train guard and they might ask for their pet ticket.

“Is that your pet, miss? I heard it meowing!” the little girl innocently asked Rem who looked down at her kindly.

“Actually, it’s a stuffed animal,” Rem denied, shaking her head.

“Yeah, it’s just a toy,” Ann tacked on quickly, “It meows when you press on its head.”

Ryuji grew a grin, swiftly finding a way to get back at Morgana for snickering at him earlier. “You heard her, Rem,” Ryuji said with an almost gleeful smile, “Press on its head.”

“This is ridiculou-” Morgan froze mid-sentence as a dainty hand gently pressed down on his head causing him to bobble up and down once, his face frozen in surprise. “M-Mewww…” he instinctively mewled still stuck surprised.

The girls face lit up in delight as the ‘toy’ meowed. “Wowweeee! Again! Again!” she giggled cheerfully earning her a coo from Ann while Ryuji moved closer to Rem.

“Here, lemme!” Ryuji said with a demented grin on his face, his hand landing roughly on top of Morgana’s head while Rem withdrew her own to watch what was surely going to be a catastrophic incident between the two. “It’s button-mashin’ time!” Ryuji crowed happily as he pushed up and down rapidly on Morgana’s head, his head bobbling up and down as if it was on a spring.

“Mew… Mewowowowowowowow!” Morgana mewls ramped as Ryuji continued before eventually freezing with a retching sound that caused Ryuji to halt abruptly.

“Oh damn…” Ryuji swore but quiet enough that the little girl wouldn’t be able to hear him.

From her seat, Rem gave Ryuji a stink eye due to the now green-faced cat sitting in her bag. Before Ryuji could do anything, Rem grabbed Morgana and hefted him up into his arms prior to him saying anything in response and sitting back down.

“…Blerghhh!” Morgana failed to hold in the contents of his stomach and vomited little streams of cat-puke onto Ryuji’s blazer, him quickly trying to pull Morgana off but failing as Morgana hooked his claws into Ryuji’s yellow undershirt.

The little girl giggled even more. “Ahaha, that’s so funny! I want to hear it again!”

“I just threw up in my mouth…” Morgana moaned piteously stuck with nausea.

“Your mouth? Most of it’s on me!” Ryuji groaned in disgust, looking at the small rivulets of cat puke clinging to his favourite yellow ZOMG shirt, chunks of pink and green from what seemed to be Morgana’s breakfast mixed in with the milky-yellow colour of cat bile.

The train intercoms blared to life.

**_The next stop is Shibuya. Shibuya. Doors will open on the left side_ **

“Oh, this is our stop!” Ann announced to the little girl apologetically. “Well, see you later! Bye-bye!” she waved, the little girl waving back at the three of them enthusiastically in response.

“Mm-hm! Bye-bye!” she said her farewell before trotting away.

“Oh, dear god, I need to go to the bathroom and clean myself before I puke…” Ryuji threw Morgana back to Rem who simply lifted the open mouth of her book bag allowing Morgana to fly right on in while he clutched his mouth turning green, trying not to vomit himself.

When the train doors open, he made a running beeline for the restrooms.

“Why’d you let him do that to meeee?” Morgana cried as he popped out of the open mouth of Rem’s bag, feeling better now that he’d divested the contents of his stomach onto Ryuji.

“Consequences, Morgana. Consequences,” was Rem’s simple answer as Ryuji came back, his shirt soaked but also having erased any evidence of Morgana’s breakfast.

“Okay… what line do we gotta transfer to...?” Ryuji moaned as he began the process of wringing his shirt of any excess water. Ann withdrew her phone from her blazer.

“Well, it doesn’t look like there are any stations close by to Kitagawa-kun’s address…” Ann murmured as she placed the address into a navigation app, no trainlines connecting anywhere close to it. “If anything, this is the closest station,” Ann showed her phone.

“Ugh, are you kidding me?! We gotta walk the rest of the way?” Ryuji grumbled. “What kinda phantom thief takes the train and then walks to their destination?!”

“Ones that students with no jobs or a driving license,” Rem pointed out causing Ryuji to slump and glare at her.

“That’s… true…” he grumbled once more before straightening back up and looking at an. “Right, where do we gotta go?”  
  
“It’s supposedly a shack, but this neighbourhood he lives in… it’s a residential area between Shibuya and Yongen-Jaya… pretty wealthy place too,” Ann muttered earning her a reside eyebrow from both Rem and Morgana.

“Are you sure?” Morgana asked hopping from Rem’s bag onto Ann’s shoulder to look over at her phone. True to her word, Madarame’s shack was indeed between Shibuya and Yongen but managed to somehow stay away from any other station beside the two in their respective areas.

“It says here that the fastest route is to get to the station square and the go to Central Street! Let’s move!” Ann pointed in the direction of Shibuya Square before trotting off, Morgana perched on her shoulder.

With a weary sigh, Ryuji followed after Ann with Rem trailing quietly behind him as the three eventually arrived at Shibuya Square quickly moving over to Central Street.

“It’s meant to be in a residential area past Central Street,” Ann said looking at her phone map, “We’ll have to a walk a bit though.”

Rem shrugged helplessly, “Might as well get going before it gets dark.”

* * *

“This place looks like a stiff breeze could blow the whole thing down,” Rem commented as she looked at what could most definitely be called a shack. It looked like a normal house except with the sole factor that rather than being made out of cement or bricks compared to all of the other lovely looking houses around it, the entire structure was composed of rusted and corrugated patches of cheap sheet metal.

“You sure this is it?” Ryuji asked doubtfully, something that Rem couldn’t help but nod to. This place didn’t seem like it should’ve been able to pass even a basic health and safety inspection by its landlord or even a health investigator.

Ann double-checked her phone, the maps, and the address that Yusuke had supplied her with. “We’re at the right address…” she muttered before looking at the house and noticing the door plate, “The door plate does say ‘Madarame.”.

Ryuji cast another doubtful eye over the dilapidated building. “Uhhh… you can go and ring the bell.”

“Me?” Ann squeaked out, “The walls won’t collapse when I do, will they?”

“I wouldn’t try knocking on the door,” Rem advised helpfully.

“No one sneeze or we’ll blow this house down, okay?” Morgana joked only to receive a dull look from Rem at the obviously bad play at the reference to the three piglets. The four eventually made the decision to approach together, even at the risk of destroying the place by accident, with Ann leading the forefront and ringing the doorbell.

**_Who is it?_ **

The words blared over the cheap house intercom, but it was more than able to deliver the familiar intonation of Yusuke’s voice

**_Sensei is currently-_ **

“Um… it’s Takamaki and Amamiya from yesterday…” Ann interrupted him hesitantly causing him to take a noticeable pause.

**_I’ll be right out!_ **

Even from outside, they could hear him scramble around through the thin cheap metal.

“People really do live here…” Ryuji muttered disbelievingly.

The door was hunted open as Yusuke arrived slightly out of breath, taking note of the two girls. “Takamaki-san, Amamiya- you’re here, as well?” Yusuke stopped through his greeting as he took note of Ryuji.

“Yo,” Ryuji waved. “Sorry, but uh… we ain’t here to talk about the modelling thing. We’ve got something we wanna ask you.”

He paused for a moment before getting straight to the point. “Is it true Madarame’s plagiarisin’ stuff? He’s abusin’ people too, yeah?” he asked causing Rem to wince out the outright bluntness of his question, and she was right to do so as Kitagawa seemed outright offended by the question.

“Are you serious?” the blue-haired teen asked lowly.

“We read about it online,” Ryuji moved forward and showed Yusuke the Phan-Site to which the teen took a short look at it before becoming increasingly more offended.

“This…?” Yusuke asked rhetorically as a peal of low laughter bubbled from within his chest. “That’s laughable! Not only is the plagiarism preposterous, but abuse? He welcomes pupils into his own home! That is no act of violence; it is charity!” he rumbled, grey eyes narrowing at Ryuji.

“I’m the only one residing here and studying beneath him. I’m saying it’s a lie, so it’s beyond doubt,” Yusuke denied vehemently.

“You might be lyin’ about it!” Ryuji rebutted quickly.

Rem didn’t miss the way the Yusuke winced and gave pause for the briefest of moments.

“That… that is utter rubbish,” Yusuke denied once more. “I had no family when Sensei took me in and raised me into what you see now! If you continue to ridicule the man I owe my life to, you will rue this day!”

“Are you truly serious about that?” Rem couldn’t help but question. It seemed though she wouldn’t be getting an answer anytime soon as Madarame himself exited the shack.

“Yusuke? What’s the matter? I heard you yelling,” Madarame asked his pupil curiously while taking notice of the trio of students outside of his door.

“These people are slandering you with baseless rumours!” Yusuke explained, his voice still loud full of emotion.

“Forgive them, Yusuke…” Madarame shook his head gently, closing his eyes. “They must’ve heard some bad rumours and came in worry for their friend’s safety. Do not worry yourself so much.”

Yusuke seemed like he wanted to say something but instead turned his head, letting out a heavy exhale. “…Understood, Sensei,” Yusuke relented allowing a small amiable grin to appear on Madarame’s face.

“Well, I suppose a cranky old man such as myself may not be liked by everyone,” Madarame supposed before looking at the three. “I’m sorry to have butt in on your conversation, but please understand that I do have neighbours around. Won’t you please keep it down?” he requested before excusing himself, “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Within the moment, he’d turned around and without preamble walked back into the dilapidated shack.

Rem could see as Yusuke visibly warred with himself before bowing slightly. “That was discourteous of me… I’m sorry,” he apologised causing Ryuji and Ann to sweat at the sudden change of attitude. A silence blew between the four before a small idea seemed to dawn on the blue-haired pupil.

“I have an idea. I think you’ll be able to believe in Sensei if you saw that painting,” Yusuke said, but almost to himself as he withdrew his phone motioning for the three to draw closer. “It’s his maiden work as well as his most representative piece – it’s title ‘Sayuri’.”

He splayed his phone to the three, displaying a truly breathtaking piece of artwork. It was of a woman wearing red with long brown hair tied into an over-the-shoulder ponytail gazing mysteriously into nothingness, a grey cloud obscuring anything beneath her torso. on the left-hand side of the painting, the title of ‘Sayuri’ was emblazoned in Japanese characters.

“…Sayuri?” Rem couldn’t help but mutter, her brain working overtime on committing the breathtaking piece of artwork to memory while also simultaneously analysing it.

“This was the painting that inspired me to become an artist,” Yusuke explained as the three continued to drink in the art piece.

Ann seemed to be the most taken by it. “It’s so beautiful…” she couldn’t help but murmur as she gazed upon the piece displayed on Yusuke’s phone.

“I don’t know all this fine-art stuff, but even I can tell that this is impressive…” Ryuji admitted with a similarly low murmur as he took in the piece.

“When I first saw the both of you, standing beside each other like two opposite beauties akin to the sun and moon, I felt the same powerful emotion as when I saw this painting…” Yusuke said, addressing Ann and Rem earning him twin stunned looks.

“Us?” Ann uttered taken aback while Rem felt a slight amount of heat draw to her cheeks at his words.“I wish to pursue beauty such as this,” Yusuke nodded calmly before bowing towards the two in an almost pleading manner, “And I believe that drawing the two of you together shall assist me in that pursuit. I implore both of you: please take my offer into serious consideration.”

He stood back up and straightened himself with an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry that you took the time to come all this way, but I must assist Sensei today,” he apologised, “I hope that we may have the chance to discuss this further at a later date. If you’ll excuse me then.”

He walked slowly back into the shack before closing the sliding door behind him leaving the three outside.

* * *

The four including Morgana stood over on the opposite side of the street with Madarame’s shack still within full-view as they began to discuss their newly gather information.

“Those two… seem like nice guys, don’t they?” Ryuji asked, feeling more than guilty at having accused them.

“Maybe the Madarame we heard about in Mementos is a different person?” Ann winced, feeling similarly guilty.

“No… I don’t think it is…” Rem, however, shook her head causing the two of them to look at her with a strange look in their faces.

“Huh? Whaddya mean?” Ryuji asked in confusion.

Rem turned her head over her shoulder to look at the shack, a slightly disconcerted look on her face. “When you said that Kitagawa-san might have been lying… did either of you notice that he paused and stuttered for a bit?” Rem asked getting shocked looks from the both of them along with Morgana who was sitting on the railing that Ryuji was leaning against.

“Actually, now that you mention it… in the heat of the moment, guess I didn’t really notice… but...” Ryuji murmured thinking back on it.

“You think Kitagawa-kun might have been lying?” Ann asked, pieces slowly slotting together.

“I do,” Rem nodded. “Nakanohara’s shadow asked us to change Madarame’s heart and he did say that there was only one pupil remaining under him,” Rem said while it finally dawned on the three.

“And Kitagawa said that he was the only one residing and studying under Madarame,” Morgana nodded along as well. “The post earlier online did also say that Madarame has a public face so it’s not too far of a jump to say that what we saw was it.”

Rem nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. I was thinking we could always use the Meta-Nav to-”

“Of course it’s you…” a voice murmured tiredly, someone approaching the four causing Ryuji to slip to the ground as he jolted in surprise before losing his balance against the railing, Morgana falling along with him.

Rem and Ann whirled around, fighting instincts at the ready to-

“Akira?” Rem let out in surprise as she noticed the familiar frizzy black-haired teen standing there with a bag of groceries in his left hand along with a cool bag and a quizzical look on his face as he took in the strange fighting stances the two had fallen into.

“Rem. Takamaki-san. Sakamoto-kun. …Rem’s cat,” Akira greeted casually, a bored expression on his face as he looked at them individually before looking at Ryuji who was sprawled on the floor with Morgana on his chest.

“Kurusu-kun? What are you doing here?” Ann asked surprised, slowly withdrawing from her stance where she’d be using her whip, even if it wasn’t on here at the moment.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Akira rose a brow, “I live in the neighbourhood. I was coming home after buying some ingredients for dinner from the local butcher but I heard some shouting and I’d thought I’d check out what was causing such ruckus,” he explained.

“You live ‘round here?” Ryuji groaned as he stood back up. “Your parents must be loaded, cause ain’t the houses around here stupid expensive?”

Rem noticed Akira wince. “Ryuji!” Rem hissed urgently causing said teen to look up and wince himself.

“Actually… I’m an orphan,” Akira shook his head, a slightly sad look on his face. “I live with a housemate just a few blocks down the street. I believe you met him Takamaki-san back at Shibuya Private hospital during Suzui-san’s incident,” he inclined his head to the bushy pig-tailed blonde.

“Y-yeah,” Ann nodded, still surprised that their classmate had almost caught them.

“Wait… then how the heck did you afford to have a house here?” Ryuji asked but earned a sharp pain on his foot as Ann stomped down harshly on it.

“Ryuji!” Ann was the one to hiss at him this time.

“No, it’s more than understandable,” Akira shook his head in understanding. “I took a few odd jobs here and there to purchase a permanent residency here… however, if I may, you didn’t answer my question earlier.”

The three plus cat stiffened. “Don’t say anything too incriminating!” Morgana hissed but stiffened as Akira’s attention fell on him. The frizzy-haired teen waled over to him before a large hand fell onto Morgana’s skull, scratching him just behind the ear.

“OOoooohhh… that feels good,” Morgana hummed in delight, the three sweat dropping as they watched him suddenly get pampered.

“Your cat meows a lot, Rem,” Akira commented as his free hand rummaged through his cool bag before pulling out a slice of fresh tuna and giving it to Morgana. “Here,” Akira offered it, small stars shining in Morgana's blue orbs as he lunged for the fish.

“Tuna!”

“You three didn’t answer my question,” Akira turned his attention back at the three. “This is generally a very quiet neighbourhood so it tends to raise questions when someone starts a shouting match that can be heard from more than ten blocks away.”

Ryuji and Ann began to sweat nervously causing Rem to take hold of the conversation before it got out of hand. “We came because Ann and I were offered a modelling offer,” Rem explained simply, “There was a small argument on what we could expect if we took up the offer.”

One of Akira’s brows rose slightly as he stood back up with his bag of groceries, Morgana happily nibbling at the tuna that was given to him by Akira’s feet. “That’s more than understandable then. Please don’t do anything that would reflect poorly on you since it would also reflect poorly in Sojiro-san,” Akira said, Rem nodding at his words.

“Well, I’ve satisfied my curiosity for the day,” Akira shrugged turning around in the direction of one of the streets. “Just please make sure that the next time you come around here, you’re quiet. Noise carries in this area and I don’t think you want any of your private conversations to be heard. Take care,” Akira gave a backwards wave as he walked off.

It wasn’t until he turned a few streets down and was out of sight did the three sans cat let out a sigh of relief.

“That was way too close,” Ann murmured, exhaustion in her voice. Rem couldn’t help but nod in agreement. She’d just been about to take out her phone and activate the Metaverse Navigator when he’d suddenly appeared.

“You’re tellin’ me,” Ryuji groaned. “I swear the guy is frickin’ everywhere…”  
“What do you mean?” Rem couldn’t help but raise a brow curiously, watching as Ryuji shrugged.

“Well… I saw him yesterday at the exhibition in Ueno. Madarame’s one,” Ryuji explained, Rem’s eyes narrowing. Once was a coincidence but twice was suspicious.

“Do you think he might be following us?” Rem asked.

“Why the hell would he?” Ryuji asked taken aback but eventually shook his head. “And nah, don’t think he was. I think he was on a date or somethin’, he was with that red-haired girl that went with him in the ambulance.”

Rem relaxed. Maybe it was just a coincidence. She did notice that Morgana had finished consuming his treat though. “I’m glad you’re ready to join us,” Rem snarked lightly as Morgana let out a satisfied burp but blue eyes narrowing.

“Hey! It’s not my fault I was hungry! A certain monkey made me barf up my breakfast and lunch!” Morgana’s eyes drifted toward Ryuji who’s taken notice of Morgana’s words.

“You wanna say that again cat?!” Ryuji snarled.

**Bonk!**

The two recoiled as Ann withdrew her hands from their chopping motion on their heads. “You two are being too loud! We just got told to be quiet, remember?” she scolded before remembering this wasn’t the first time Kurusu had told them to not be loud. “Is this really what we’re going to become known for with him?”

“It’s better than being suspected for being the Phantom Thieves,” Rem shrugged as she brought the group back on track. “As I was saying, we could always just use the Meta-Nav to see if Madarame has a hit.”

“I’ll be honest… I’d completely forgotten that was why we were here,” Ryuji murmured as Rem pulled out her phone and opened the navigation app.

_Result found_

“You’re shittin’ me…” Ryuji let out in surprise as he and Ann moved over to Rem.

“Well, at least we know that Madarame has a hit… wait… is it saying he has a Palace?” Ann asked as she noticed the different display, rather than him showing up in Mementos, it was remarkably similar to the one they’d see when they were going to Kamoshida’s castle.

“It would be safe to assume so. All we need to do now is figure out what the keywords are,” Morgana nodded joining in, jumping onto Ryuji’s shoulder and hanging over his head. The blonde looked up at him in annoyance but otherwise left him there.

“That could be freakin’ anything though,” Ryuji complained, slumping ridiculously with Morgana lounging atop his head.

“Not… necessarily…” Ann said, deep in thought before she moved closer to Rem. “Shack.”

_Location found_

“How the heck did you get that on the first go?!” Ryuji yelped in shocked. Ann gave him a smug smile.

“I was watching the news last night and there was an interview with Madarame, he said that he lived in a shack so I figured it’d make sense that was what the location,” she explained smugly.

Ryuji had a troubled look on his face as he rubbed his ribs. “Yeah… I know that interview alright… I was watchin’ it live yesterday before I got mobbed by a bunch of crazy fans.”

“Focus,” Rem said lightly snapping her fingers. “We still need to figure out the keyword and what he thinks of this place,” she said bringing them back to the present.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryuji muttered before taking a random guess, “I dunno, something about plaigarisin’ or abuse or somethin’? That was on the Phan-Site post after all.”

_Keyword found_

“Hehe, nice work Ryuji. Maybe you can actually be useful once in a while,” Morgana back-handed complimented the human beneath him only to earn himself a flick on the nose.

“No insulting each other,” Rem shook her head, “I swear it’s like trying to play mediator between two grouchy old men.”

Ann looked at her dully. “And you were telling _us_ to focus…” she said causing Rem to look bashful.

“Ahem… we only need to find out what he thinks the shack to be for us to enter his Palace,” Rem shook her head, her braid whipping behind her as she blushed lightly. “Either of you want to take a guess? You two got the last ones after all,” Rem asked Ann and Ryuji, putting them on the spot.

“Why don’t we start with castle?” Ann asked.

_No candidate found_

“I dunno, ‘Prison’, I guess…?” Ryuji hazarded but eventually shook his head, “Nah that wouldn’t make sense…”

_No candidate found_

“Thought so… ‘Jail’? ‘Warehouse’? and ‘Guidance Counselin’ Office’? Heck, why not ‘Farm’?” Ryuji spat out a bundle of guesses to no avail.

_No candidate found_

“Really? Nothin’?” Ryuji slumped dramatically.

“Should we come back another time?” Morgana asked hesitantly since they seemed to be getting nowhere fast.

“No… we should get this done as soon as possible otherwise Kitagawa-kun might suffer if Rem was right,” Ann declined swiftly as she looked at the navigation app appraisingly. “A building that’s related to artists… if we go from there, what could it be…? Do you have any ideas?” she asked looking at Rem.

Rem thought it over for a moment, thinking back to yesterday’s exhibit

“Exhibit?”

_No candidate found_

“Huh… thought that would’ve been it,” Ryuji remarked.

“No, I think she might be onto something,” Ann shook her head. “Can you think of anything like an exhibit?” she asked Rem, her face drawn into one of concentration.

“What about a museum?” Rem hedged a guess.

_Beginning navigation_

* * *

Akira watched from the rooftop of his house, a spotter’s scope in his hands as he looked on as the four disappeared from this layer of reality and into Madarame’s Palace.

Truthfully, it’d been pure luck finding out that Madarame had lived so close to him, only just a few blocks away on a street he’d never frequented. After nearing three years, he’d completely forgotten Madarame’s address and it was only thanks to him slipping into Madarame’s palace on the way home from Leblanc yesterday did he even realise where his shack was.

Taking the time to tuck away the spotter scope into the long case containing a model sniper rifle that he’d acquired from Tsuda, he surged from his spot on the rooftop and cracked his back. “Guess I should be getting ready for dinner,” Akira murmured as he re-entered his house and made his way downstairs to the kitchen.

It hadn’t been an entire lie that he’d been coming back from the butcher and fish market, only that had been more than three hours ago. He’d already done a majority of what he’d needed to do regarding Madarame’s maps before the three had entered, all made much easier since the Phantom Thieves had yet to trigger his alarms.

All he needed to do now was shadow their progress, but that could wait.

He pulled out his phone and dialled Goro.

“Akira?”

“Hey, how do you feel like sashimi tonight?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow slightly longer chapter this time. Primarily just setting up Madarame’s Palace and all that. Will skip their initial exploration (might do that for most palaces) and just go straight into Palace dives, especially since I want to get to the good parts of this arc.
> 
> Woot, just 5k from 100k words.
> 
> Edit: 10000k hits and almost 100 bookmarks, nice.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are with chapter 19 folks! Haven't finished final checkpoint but figured since it's technically been one full month since I made this fic, ya'll deserve a chapter.
> 
> Woot woot 100 bookmarks

_We are currently running an exhibit of the Master Artist Madarame_

“That is starting to get really annoying,” Rem muttered as the PA announcement played over and over in the reception area of Madarame’s exhibit as she opened the two chests in the room. Looking around she noticed on a shelf, a bunch of brochures stack.

“Is this a pamphlet?” Ann looked at it curiously after she’d wandered over to the shelf, the other three Phantom Thieves making their way over to her.

“The guy’s really payin’ attention to even little details like this?” Ryuji groused as he plucked a brochure for himself. “What the heck…? Hey, Rem, come over here for a sec!” he called out.

Rem saddled over to Ryuji, him showing her the brochure. The whole thing had different writing all over it with directions to chests, safe rooms, and even directions to Will Seeds. “Ann, is yours like this as well?” Rem asked as she glided over to her leather-clad teammate who showed her own proving that is was similarly annotated.

Rem grabbed another one from the shelf only to find the exact same thing. “Are all Palaces like this?” Rem wondered aloud.

“Well… didn’t Kamoshida’s map have something similar to this? Maybe it’s common to all Palaces?” Ann guessed while Ryuji shook his head.

“Still… why’d they bother makin’ stuff like this in the first place? Doesn’t it go against the point of hidin’ shit?” Ryuji asked.

“I don’t think Palace rulers expect people to be able to go around their Palaces, so I don’t think it stops them,” Morgana hazarded a wild guess. “This one doesn’t seem to be showing the Treasure anywhere on it though,” he hummed as he jumped onto Rem’s shoulder, Rem quickly compensating for the additional weight by spreading her footing.

“Well, didn’t Kamoshida’s have a second one showing the Treasure? Maybe this one’s like that as well,” Ann offered.

“That is a possibility, at the very least we can use this one as a scale of reference,” Morgana nodded, “This map only shows half of the museum so as we scour the Palace we’ll need to keep an eye out for the second map.”

“Right,” Rem nodded, tucking the map into the single pocket in her ripped pants. “Come on, we still need to confirm evidence that Madarame’s cognition requires us to do something about it,” she ordered, Morgana backflipping off her shoulder while Ann and Ryuji tucked the maps away on their person.

“Depending on what we find, we may need to reconsider our plan,” Morgana pointed out as they began to make their way through Madarame’s cognitive museum. It was only a room deeper through a double-entrance corridor did the group find the evidence they needed to move against Madarame.

“Wha’ the hell is tha’?” Ryuji couldn’t help but let out as the group gazed upon a spiralling golden monument situated within the centre of a large circular auditorium like room only without any seats. The spiralling golden monument with people at different interval atop it seemed to be one of the primary exhibits of Madarame’s Palace.

“Hm…” Morgana hummed as he approached the base of the statue and looked at the plaque. “Look at this…” he pointed a paw at the golden plaque.

“‘The Infinite Spring’?” Ann approached and began to read aloud. “‘A conglomerate work of art that the great director Madarame created with his own funds. These individuals must offer their ideas to the director for the rest of their lives. Those who cannot do so have no worth living!’” she finished, taking a step back to take it all in.

“This… This is Madarame full-well knowing that he’s plagiarizing his students’ artworks,” Ann said struck cold at the truth behind the seemingly gentle man.

“Dammit, Rem was right on this one,” Ryuji growled as he stomped his foot in frustration.

Morgana shook his head at the monument. “In other words, his pupils are his property. He doesn’t even qualify as an artist if this is true,” Morgana remarked. “He’s stealing the ideas from talented students in exchange for securing their livelihood…”

Morgana turned towards the room they’d entered from, thinking about the portraits they’d seen such as the one of Natsuhiko Nakanohara or Yusuke Kitagawa. “I wondered about those portraits on display… they must be how Madarame’s cognition views his pupils,” Morgana said contemplatively, “This even says that they have no worth. Perhaps this is referring to the abuse mentioned on the post from the Phan-Site?”

“Madarame will keep them with him so long as they continue to paint for him,” Rem nodded along looking at the monument analytically, “but the moment they lose their worth or they refuse to do so… he betrays them, throws them out onto the streets… just like Nakanohara-san’s Shadow had said.”

Ryuji shook his head in frustration, yellow gloves squeaking as the fibres mashed against each other beneath his grip. “Why’s Yusuke keepin’ quiet? He’s got no reason to lie for the bastard!”

Ann looked at Ryuji disheartened. “He did say that he owes Madarame his life for being taken in…”

“But still…” Ryuji shouted, anger coursing through his veins at the unfairness of it all.

“Wait, Ann… yesterday, at the exhibit… didn’t Kitagawa-san act strangely when you commented on one of the paintings?” Rem asked, her hand cupping her chin in thought. “You said that you could feel… something, anger? from the painting?” she supplied, Ann lighting up as she understood what Rem was referring to.

“The one that felt like I could feel the artist’s frustration… do you think that might have been one of Yusuke’s pieces?” Ann asked, earning her a nod from Rem.

“Shit… well, what’s the call, Rem? Reckon this is enough to target Madarame?!” Ryuji asked hotly, looking directly at Rem who was still analysing the statue.

“…We made an agreement that no matter what we do, would ensure that we _all_ came to a unanimous agreement,” Rem said as she turned around to look at everyone. “Just because we’ve officially formalised the group does not mean that will ever change. The only way we’re going after Madarame is if we all agree.”

“I’m in agreement, and if you all are in agreement as well, then Madarame will be our next target,” Rem announced looking at the three. Morgana and Ryuji nodded but Ann seemed conflicted.

“I don’t know…” Ann shook her head, “I feel like we should check these facts with Kitagawa-kun first.”

“…Dammit, I get where you’re comin’ from,” Ryuji sagged.

“Until we’re all in agreement, we’ll hold off for now,” Rem nodded to Ann and getting a relieved nod in return.

“How’re we gonna get solid evidence though?” Ryuji asked.

“We also don’t know a lot about Madarame,” Morgana piped up as he hopped onto Ryuji’s shoulder almost sending the two sprawling form the suddenness of his action, only stopping because Ryuji was using his mace like a walking stick. “This is unlike Kamoshida where you three all had personal experiences with him. We need to gather more information before we begin, so perhaps it was a good call on Panther’s part.”

“…Thanks, Mona,” Ann smiled before looking at Rem. “I’ll try contacting Kitagawa-kun. We might be able to get the truth out of him if I accept his modelling offer.”

“Wait, you’re gonna do that?!” Morgana yelped in surprise.

The sound of cloth fibres squealing against each other rang out around the large chamber, causing Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana to look over at Rem who was giving a brittle smile. “You… want me… to model…?” Rem whispered with a tight smile causing Ann to grimace.

“Uh… Ryuji, maybe you should come with us so Rem doesn’t do anything drastic,” Ann suggested causing Ryuji to recoil.

“Uh, hell no… If you think I’m gonna be stoppin’ Rem from beatin’ ass, you’re wrong. I’ve seen what she can do, if Yusuke tries something’ he’s on his own…” Ryuji shook his head vehemently causing Ann to give a suffering sigh.

“Rem… please don’t kill Kitagawa-kun just because we’re modelling, we need to get the truth from him,” Ann pleaded the black-haired ponytailed girl whose only response was to give an even tighter and more brittle smile.

“If Kitagawa-san even suggests something… I’ll break his teeth in…” Rem whispered intensely while somehow never letting the frigid smile leave her face.

“Oh god, we’re going to get arrested for homicide…” Ann whined to herself as Morgana jumped from Ryuji’s shoulder to her own and patted her head comfortingly.

* * *

It was Tuesday afternoon, the following day when the three gathered in their usual spot next to the vending machines.

“I got a response from Kitagawa-kun,” Ann announced. “He said he wanted us to come over after school today,” she told the three causing Rem to grimace and sag against the bench she was sitting on, pressing a cold can of orange soda against her forehead.

“Oh damn, this should be fun…” Ryuji commented as he noticed Rem’s reaction. “The guy probably dropped every plan he had for the day just to get the two of you over there.”

“Please, don’t remind me,” Rem complained, a stark contrast to the day prior. “I don’t think I’m ready for this…”

“You’re not ready? I thought you’d be the one ready to punch his lights out the moment he tries anything?” Ryuji remarked earning him a piteously scathing look from Rem before she sagged.

“That was before Ann reminded me that I’d actually have to model… which I don’t know how to do,” Rem uttered pathetically.

“Oh, there’s no need to be so dramatic, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Ann waved away her worries. “Besides, we’re not there for the modelling remember? We’re there to find out from Kitagawa-kun if what we saw in the Palace was true…”

Morgana’s line of sight from his seat on the table drifted over to the walkway before noticing someone asking around. “Hey, quiet down. It’s that student council president,” Morgana whispered, the three looking around and noticed the pixie-cut brown-haired student council president talking to Akira.

“Yikes, she got a hold of Kurusu today? It’d suck if she noticed us. We should probably split before she comes for us,” Ryuji said as he picked up his bag, Morgana clambering into Rem’s before the three split up, eventually reconvening in Shibuya Station walkway overpass.

“Man, where the heck is Ann?” Ryuji murmured as he stood against the railing, Rem off to the side with Morgana perched on her shoulder.

It seemed those magic words were what was necessary for Ann to appear from the void that was known as Shibuya. “Sorry. I was thinking about some things and didn’t notice how much time had passed,” Ann apologised.

“Thinkin’ about what?”

“Don’t you think it’s strange? Kitagawa-kun must be protecting Madarame,” Ann replied as she cocked her hip to the side. “They live together, so he’d have to be aware of Madarame’s true nature. The only reason that I could think of as to why he’s protecting Madarame is if Madarame has something on Kitagawa-kun…”

“Yea, that’s weird…” Ryuji murmured before shrugging. “But ain’t that the reason why we’re going over to his place to go and check it out?” he asked as he looked at Ann and Rem. “So… you two ready to be his models?”

“Yeah, I’m prepared,” Ann nodded twirling her hair.

“If I say no… can we hold off for another hour?” Rem asked hopefully.

“Nope, we’ve gotta do this now otherwise we might not get another chance,” Ann shook her head sternly.

“Wait… Whaddya mean prepared? Prepared for what?” Ryuji asked as he caught on to what Ann had said. “Y’know what, I just got a bad feelin’ when I asked that question so let’s just move right on from that. We should get going, gotta meet Yusuke and all.”

Ann nodded. “Kitagawa-kun seemed really when I told him we’d both agreed to be his models. Once he finishes drawing and gets a little friendlier, we should bring up Madarame.”

Ryuji and Morgana nodded while Rem gave a forced smile, feeling like the next few hours were going to be painful for someone.

* * *

“J-Just how long do we have to sit like this…?” Rem grimaced, a smile forced on her face as she sat adjacent to Ann, their backs touching as Yusuke painted the two of them, Ryuji sitting off to the side and Morgana exploring.

It had been well, the three-hour mark, evening dusk already descending upon Japan as they sat there, Yusuke off in his own world painting the two while Ryuji scrolled through his phone.

Initially, Yusuke had been irritated to find Ryuji had accompanied them, but was placated when Ann explained it was to ensure nothing untoward happened. It was, therefore, a surprise to the three when Yusuke had flat-out stated that the two had held little appeal to him as members of the opposite sex.

That had been quite possibly the only reason Rem was comfortable enough to model for three hours without fidgeting. That, however, didn’t change the fact that she and Ann had essentially been sharing the same chair for three solid hours.

Thankfully, Yusuke let out an aggrieved sigh while lowering his paintbrush. Ryuji, ever impatient stowed away his phone and leaned forward. “You done?” he asked.

“It’s no good…”

“Huh?” Rem let out surprised as she stretched, cracking her back.

“I’m sorry… were we the problem?” Ann asked hesitantly as she shifted her legs to look at Yusuke who’d slumped his elbows onto his knees.

“No, not at all….” Yusuke was quick to deny but it seemed like his mind was elsewhere. “It’s just… as of late I’ve had trouble focusing. I’m sorry, but would the two of you be amenable to continuing this at a later date?” he broached but was overtaken by Ryuji.

“To hell with that!” Ryuji snapped causing Yusuke to look at him in disdain, “Do you know how many hours we’ve waited!?”

Yusuke was understandably confused when Ryuji stood up and walked over to Rem and Ann, the two similarly standing and hovering over Yusuke. “I’m sorry Kitagawa-san but we did have ulterior motives for agreeing to your modelling session,” Rem said contritely but bluntly.

Ann nodded, an apologetic expression on her face. “We… needed to talk to you,” Ann said, “It’s about the rumours regarding Madarame-san.”

“This again…” Yusuke growled in annoyance as he finally stood up in front of his easel.

“The painting we saw at the exhibit, the one with the autumn skies… that was one of yours, wasn’t it?” Ann asked straightforward, the question visibly causing Yusuke to recoil and wince.

“Knew it…” Rem murmured.

“Look, Madarame’s been usin’ his pupils. You can’t just sit there and tell us that ain’t messed up,” Ryuji said. “And those rumours about him stealin’ their work or physically abusin’ them are all true, aren’t’ they?”

Yusuke grimaced.

“Why the hell are you protectin’ him?!” Ryuji shouted.

“Hahaha… I-I have no idea what you’re talking about…” Yusuke stuttered, his eyes failing to meet any of theirs even as he rebutted Ryuji.

“You can’t go against him, can you?” Rem asked, placing a hand on Ryuji’s shoulder in an effort to calm him down, his breathing heavy and rapid.

“Please, just stop…” Yusuke shook his head as grey eyes met vivid red. “It’s just as you say, we’re… I’m… sensei’s ‘artwork’,” he admitted thoroughly surprising the three at the lack of resistance, but he was quick to shake his head as he noticed their expressions. “Don’t misunderstand me though,” he said as he looked at them, “I offered my ideas to him myself. As such, it can’t be called plagiarism.”

“Sensei… is simply suffering from artist’s block right now…” Yusuke defended but it was more than obvious that the words pained him to say it.

“And while he’s having artists block I’m sure every other pupil he’s thrown out onto the streets happily gave him their artworks,” Rem remarked earning her a surprised glance from Yusuke. “Every other pupil of Madarame’s was either kicked out onto the curb or ran away because he’d used them for years…” she trailed off daring Yusuke to deny the truth.

“Urk…” Yusuke recoiled as if he’d been struck but quickly struck back. “What’s so wrong with wanting to help my master?! What if I give him my artworks?! It is my choice!” Yusuke snapped.

Rem simply crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “…was every other pupil of Madarame’s afforded the same choice? It didn’t seem as if Nakanohara-san was.”

Yusuke gaped, a small gasp tearing its way from his lips as he stared at her in shock. Before long he sat down before his easel, elbows against his knees as he slouched over. “Don’t… Don’t ever come here again… If you do, I’ll sue you for causing a disturbance…” Yusuke threatened.

“Excuse me?!” Ryuji growled, his words were what seemed to cause Yusuke to snap as he stood up and pulled out his phone.

“I may have asked for Takamaki-san and Amamiya-san, and whilst Amamiya-san may have her own opinions about my Sensei, I don’t recall ever asking you to come,” Yusuke snapped. “You were not invited and as such, I can report you to the police for trespassing and creating a disturbance.”

“What the hell man?!” Ryuji stomped his foot in frustration, the rickety walls of the house shaking slightly as he did so.

“I can add property damage to the list as well…” Yusuke said as he began inputting the number for the police.

“Ryuji, stop it!” Ann tried to take control of the situation before she turned to Yusuke, “Calm down, okay?” she asked placatingly.

Yusuke stared, tensions within the room rising as the four looked at each other, primarily Yusuke and Ryuji staring each other down. “…I won’t report you… but only on a singular condition,” Yusuke said.

“And what would that be?” Rem asked, still standing with her arms crossed and her hip cocked to the side.

“I wish for the two of you to continue being my models,” Yusuke said earnestly, the tension within the room disappearing as he quickly got distracted.

“But… you said that it wasn’t working out today…” Ann said, looking at him confused, Rem doing the same as her head tilted to the side.

“That’s because I was unconsciously being modest for your sake…” Yusuke shook his head, “However, I have nothing to worry about now.”

Rem felt her hackles rise.

“If you’re both willing to bare everything to me…” Yusuke’s expression took on a delighted but content smile, “…I will put my heart and soul into creating the greatest nude painting ever!”

**!**

Many things happened simultaneously at that very moment.

“Nude?!” Ann recoiled, her hand covering her mouth as she gasped in shock.

“WHAT?” Ryuji cried out in alarm, similarly taken aback. He quickly realised, however, that he’d failed to complete the sole purpose he was given when he’d accompanied the two here in the first place.

Yusuke’s head snapped back, his body hanging frozen in time for a moment. Ryuji and Ann could only watch helplessly as the blue-haired teen crumpled to the floor unconscious. Rem stood in front of him, a tight and forced demented smile on her face and her right fist extended from where it had knocked the teen into unconsciousness.

“…Nude?” she asked shakily, not seeming to be entirely coherent of what she’d just done.

“R-Rem! I think you killed him!” Ryuji yelled as he scrambled over Yusuke, letting out a sigh of relief that he was still alive and breathing, just temporarily unconscious. Ann quickly pulled Rem back, pushing her arm down as Ryuji tried to bring Yusuke back to the world of the living.

* * *

“Yo… you okay?” Ryuji asked in concern as Yusuke slowly came to, the blue-haired boy’s head ringing.

“Wh-What happened?” Yusuke looked around blearily, colours and shapes still blurry but slowly coming into focus. He eventually could see Ryuji hovering over him, an expression of concern on his face looking down at him.

Ryuji didn’t answer him but instead clicked his fingers in front of Yusuke to get his attention. “Hey, Hey!” Ryuji clicked his finger once more, Yusuke blearily paying attention, still more than out of it. “Do me a favour and follow my hand without moving your head, yeah?” Ryuji asked gently.

Yusuke did so, Ryuji moving his hand up, down, left, and right. “What’s nine plus ten?” Ryuji asked suddenly causing Yusuke to give him a queer look.

“Nineteen…”

Ryuji let out a sigh of relief as he stood up. “Well you didn’t give him a concussion at least,” he announced to Rem, who as Yusuke looked over to, quickly recalled the last moments before his blissful sentence to the world of the sleeping.

“Ah… I recall now,” Yusuke muttered as he slowly stood up cradling his head with a slight shake but his face morphing into that of delight once more, completely forgetting the fact he’d just been assaulted. “To think I’d be able to create a nude painting with the most ideal models!” he cheered gleefully.

“W-Woah!” Ryuji was ready for Rem lurching from her spot in the corner, quickly grabbing her right hand before she could give the teen clearly lacking in the self-preservation department a night-night strike. “I-I can’t believe it… the madman’s still g-going on about it!” Ryuji let out amazed even as he struggled to hold Rem down.

“Of course, I can’t in good conscience allow you to stay after the disturbance you caused,” Yusuke muttered as he looked at Ryuji then at the struggling Rem. “While I do believe it may be hazardous to my health to have you model… sacrifices must be made if I am to continue to use both you and Takamaki-san as the ideal pair of models in my next painting…” he hummed to himself.

“Nude, meaning it’ll be without any clothes, right?!” Ann cried in concern and building embarrassment. “What are things suddenly escalating to that?!”

It took Yusuke a moment to recall exactly why he’d stated that before remembering. “Because those are the terms I’ve supplied in exchange for not calling the police on your friend for trespassing and causing a disturbance,” Yusuke said simply.

“But a n-nude-?!” Ann stammered haltingly, still in the process of understanding the rapidly devolving situation.

“Ain’t that bad?” Ryuji asked Ann, having finally managed to get Rem to stop and was now seated with the same broken smile on her face.

“Sensei is out during the afternoon while the art exhibit is in, as such I have free reign over this place,” Yusuke murmured in thought ignoring the two, “I should purchase more art supplies…”

“Will you give us a second?!” Ann pleaded.

“O-Of course, I’m willing to wait,” Yusuke’s stance seemed to relax, still completely caught up in the thought of creating such a masterpiece. “I can make time according to both of your plans. But, please… come before the exhibit ends…” Yusuke said to both Rem and Ann.

“No! That’s not what I mean! Why aren’t you listening!” Ann whined in distress while Rem was still sitting frozen akin to a statue.

“Sensei will be returning home soon,” Yusuke said simply, floating around the room with a blissful smile on his face. Rem twitched just the slightest bit when he neared her. “We’re done for today. Takamaki-san, as you are the one between both you and Amamiya-san, I shall be waiting for you to contact me once you are ready.”

“Nononono! We are not done talking here!” Ann waved her hands frantically but was promptly ignored as Yusuke began to rummage through his art supplies.

“Ugh… dammit,” Ryuji cursed before turning to Rem. “Hey, what do you think we should do- oh… right…” he trailed off lamely as he realised Rem was still catatonic with shock, barely reacting to any outside stimulus.

Looking over at Ann, he could tell she wouldn’t be of any help since she was still a flustered mess. With a weary sigh, Ryuji grabbed Rem’s bag and slung it over his shoulder before he shook Ann out of her flustered state.

Turning back to Rem, he placed his hands beneath her arms and began to bodily drag the frozen and dementedly smiling girl out of the atelier.

“What the heck happened?! I was gone for two hours!” Morgana yowled as he noticed Ryuji dragging Rem through the house, who was only now regaining her mental faculties while Ann ambled along behind them akin to a zombie.

“It’s… urk, a long… story…” Ryuji grunted in discontent.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Ya’ll thought you’d only be getting one chapter today! Sike! You get two! Why? Because I’m using unproductive-productive use of my time procrastinating and I’m using the excuse of one-month anniversary. Here’s Chapter 20.
> 
> Woot broke 100k words

“Oh, our grades are out.”

“How’d you go?”

“Damn… I’m dead…”

Akira overheard the conversations floating around the schools come Wednesday morning as he and Sumire entered the Academy. “Huh… guess the results are out…” he murmured. It didn’t seem like he’d murmured quiet enough as Sumire had been able to hear him.

“How do you think you did?” she asked quietly, peering over the gaggle of students blocking the noticeboard. She moved slightly closer as she looked for her own score and Akira’s, her face lighting up as she found them.

“Senpai, you’re first in your class!” Sumire said overjoyed for Akira who rose a brow and looked. It turned out he was. His eyes roamed over the piece of paper, his own falling on Sumire’s score.

“You did well yourself,” Akira praised as he noticed Sumire’s grade, fourth in her class. A hand drifted atop Sumire’s head and gave her a congratulatory pat.

“I-It was nothing…” Sumire stammered beneath his roaming hand, flustered no matter how many times he did so.

“You did well Kurusu-san…” a voice piped up from behind the two, surprising Sumire who eeped beneath his hand. Akira ignored Cybele as he turned calmly, grey eyes meeting piercing wine-red.

COLD

“However, you didn’t only come first within Class 2-B, but also the entirety of the second-year cohort. A commendable achievement,” Makoto Niijima commended graciously.

“Thank you, Niijima-senpai. It’s not every day a student draws the attention of the student council president,” Akira inclined his courteously head at her.

“No, and not twice in a row either,” the third-year nodded before turning to Sumire. “My apologies Yoshizawa-san, but I’m afraid I’ll need to borrow Kurusu-san for the time being.”

Sumire looked at her before turning to Akira, her brow furrowed in confusion and the slightest amount of worry. Akira crossed his arms and cocked to the side, looking at Makoto contemplatively.

“I’m sorry Niijima-senpai, but as I told you yesterday, I don’t have any information for you regarding the Phantom Thieves,” he sighed, recalling how the day prior the student council president had tried to ask him if he’d've had any possible leads on the Phantom Thieves due to his status as being an indirect victim of Kamoshida.

Makoto shook her head with a disarming smile. “Oh, what I wish to discuss doesn’t have anything to do with my current project regarding the Phantom Thieves,” Makoto said. “I actually wish to discuss certain prospects available to you as the highest-scoring achiever of the second-year students. Of course, Miss Kawakami has already been notified since what I wish to discuss will take a while. As such, you’ve been excused from first-period.”

Akira rose a brow.

He didn’t recall this ever happening when he’d come first before. Eventually, he acquiesced since it seemed Kawakami was at least in the know. It didn’t hurt that he was slightly curious at this divergence.

He turned to Sumire. “I guess this is where we part ways for now, take care yeah?” he said disarmingly as possible, noticing the slight apprehension on her features, a hand ruffling through her hair and easing her tension.

“I’ll see you later than, Akira-senpai,” Sumire nodded quietly before turning to Makoto. “Niijima-senpai,” she said politely as she inclined by the wait and gave the student council president a respectful bow before heading off to class.

If Makoto had noticed anything about Akira’s and Sumire’s interaction, she didn’t say anything on the matter. If anything, she extended her hand down the hallway to lead him elsewhere.

“Shall we?”

Akira nodded.

Makoto led him through the halls of Shujin Academy and up the stairs twice, through the hallways once more and to the student council room. “I don’t recall doing anything that would warrant a visit here,” Akira uttered as he finally came to the conclusion of where she was bringing him.

The short bob-cut student president simply gave him another disarming smile as she opened the door and bade Akira enter, herself following suit after he did. “As I said earlier, I wish to discuss certain prospects available to you,” Makoto said as she took a seat on a chair behind an otherwise regular table and offering the other to Akira to which he quickly accepted.

“I’d like to begin once more by congratulating you on your achievement of coming first in your cohort,” Makoto complimented lightly, “It takes a large amount of dedication to create such a gap between yourself and second place.”

Akira looked at her in confusion, Makoto adopting a similar look as she noticed the expression on his face.

“You didn’t see?” Makoto probed curiously.

“No…”

“Ah…” Makoto let out as she paused for a moment before speaking, “The divide between yourself was… quite significant to say the least. Kurusu-san, you came in first with a perfect score of one-hundred.”

Akira just looked at her to continue.

Makoto let out a slightly aggrieved sigh. “The second-place holder of your grade achieved a grade of ninety-one.”

“Excuse me for stating the obvious Niijima-senpai, but that divide doesn’t seem all that significant at all,” Akira stated confused as to where she could be leading this.

Makoto shook her head. “On the contrary, out of one-hundred and twenty-five students, and a single student achieves a perfect score, that divide becomes extremely noticeable Kurusu-san,” she said closing her eyes before opening them. “This, of course, is if we don’t take into consideration your transfer examination. Do you recall what score you achieved?” she asked, hands clasped on the table in front of her.

Akira rose a brow, still more than confused at where this was going. “A perfect score?” he answered earning him a nod from the brown-haired third-year.

“Indeed. Twice now, you’ve achieved a perfect one-hundred in both examinations you’ve taken. Can you see where I’m going with this Kurusu-san?” Makoto asked rhetorically. Even though he knew it was a rhetorical question, Akira nonetheless answered, because honestly; he didn’t.

“I can’t say I do.”

Makoto allowed a sigh to escape her lips as she stared Akira down. “Your grades have been brought to the attention of myself, the school staff, and Principal Kobayakawa. Normally, it would be highly irregular for a student to consistently achieve such high scores,” Makoto explained.

“Something… tells me that isn’t the case here,” Akira stated the obvious considering that Makoto didn’t seem all that aggrieved. if she’d actually caught a student cheating blatantly.

“No, it isn’t,” Makoto shook her head. “Principal Kobayakawa was quick to dismiss any notions of cheating regarding you due to your stellar transfer scripts and recommendations.”

“If that’s the case, why are we having this discussion?” Akira couldn’t help but ask.

Makoto rose a brow and gave him a slightly icy glare at his interruption. “If you’d allow me to finish…” she trailed off, looking at him to see if he’d cut-in again. When he didn’t, she continued.

“As I said, your perfect scores were brought to the attention of myself, the staff, and Principal Kobayakawa. I’ve actually taken a look at your transfer records, you’ve done quite a lot at your previous school, haven’t you, Kurusu-san?” she asked.

“Uh…” Akira let out unintelligibly, all too lost since he’d never actually bothered to actually ask Tsuda about what he’d placed on the records he gave.

“It was because of the actions that you took in regards to…” Makoto’s expression became slightly conflicted as she paused, “…the incident with Suzui-san in addition to your academic excellence that Principal Kobayakawa recommended for me to offer you a position on the Student Council as the representative for the second-years.”

 _‘…What?’_ Akira’s brain short-circuited. _‘Tsuda, what the fuck did you put on my transfer records?’_

“That was what I wish to discuss with you,” Makoto concluded her explanation as she looked at Akira. “Kurusu-san. Will you accept the position offered to you to join the Student Council?”

* * *

Akira pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation as he allowed his back to rest against the cool cold stone behind him, his right foot propped up on the ledge in front of him where he sat as he overlooked the stunning courtyard below.

“Odin.”

He’d whispered but the Ultimate Persona of the Emperor Arcana answered the call, materialising silently and suddenly, standing behind him on the rooftop imposingly. He’d have called upon Ongyo-Ki just as he’d done within Kamoshida’s Palace, but this was Madarame’s and this particular Persona had been insistent about being called upon.

Being a persona of the Emperor’s Arcana, much less the Ultimate Persona meant that there was an intrinsic connection between them and Akira’s actions regarding Yusuke. Similar to how Ishtar and the Lovers Arcana had been insistent and impulsive when it came to Shiho and Ann, Odin and the Emperors were the equivalents for Madarame and Yusuke.

Unfortunately, in Kamoshida’s Palace, Ishtar’s capabilities didn’t extend that well to navigation as such he’d necessitated using Ongyo-Ki. Odin was a different case.

Odin, meaning ‘The Furious’, was the chief god of the Norse mythology. Associated with not only wisdom, war, battle, and death; he was also associated with magic, poetry, prophecy, victory and the hunt.

In certain aspects of Norse mythology, he’d bartered his left eye in order to drink from the well of Mimir and gain its knowledge, this beside the fact that he’d hung himself from the branches of Yggdrasil in order to gain even greater wisdom atop that which he’d already garnered

A lesser-known aspect of Odin was that he was also known as the Raven God, due to his connection to the pair of ravens Huginn and Muninn. A pair of ravens who would bring information to him from all over the world to compensate for the lost-sight he’d received from bartering his left-eye for knowledge

They were the reason Akira was fine with Odin joining him.

Setting aside the legendary spear, Gungnir, Odin reached beneath his leather eyepatch. A pink-skin hand grasped and with a loud squelch tore free the orb from within its eye-socket unflinchingly. Odin looked at Akira for a moment before nodding, acquiescing to the silent request from its master.

Extending his hand and allowing his eye to rest upon his palm open for a moment, he held it aloft. With a violent motion, the eye was crushed and disappeared in black specks, spreading from both sides of his clasped hand and forming into the twin ravens.

Huginn, Old Norse for “thought” and Muninn, Old Norse for “mind”.

The two ravens flapped their black wings, looking into the single eye of its master before flying off.

From atop his view of the courtyard, Akira closed his eyes and allowed his mind to sink into the consciousness of the twin ravens, an eye for each raven as they scoured the depths of Madarame’s Palace for the Phantom Thieves, or more accurately Rem and Ryuji.

It had been two days since Makoto had offered him a position on the Student Council to which he’d stupidly accepted. It had also been a day since the Phantom Thieves had infiltrated the length of the Palace and arrived at the gilded doors that represented a barrier in Madarame’s cognition that needed to be overcome.

If he’d remembered correctly, this meant that Morgana and Ann would be joining Yusuke today in order to remove the barrier in the real world in front of Madarame while Rem and Ryuji would stay on this side of the metaverse in order to keep the barrier open by gaining access to the control room.

Unfortunately, this meant that for Akira to watch it all play out he had to sit upon the rooftops of the building, which was never checked by Shadows and camp-out here for the afternoon. Even more so unfortunate was that Odin wasn’t exactly the chattiest of his Personas.

Most unfortunate of all was that there was a certain Persona that _really_ wanted to talk/think/stare at him right now.

“Will you stop that?” Akira swatted the ancient Phrygian Mother of Gods on the nose, causing her to giggle as she floated lightly into the air. Odin stood there quietly and imperiously, ignoring the actions of the Ultimate Persona of the High Priestess Arcana.

Cybele had been near overjoyed that Akira had accepted the position on the Student Council as it meant that he’d constantly be in close quarters with Makoto, the contractor of the High Priestess.

“I can’t believe I accepted that…” Akira glared balefully at what amounted to another facet of himself. “Do you even understand how much trouble you’re creating?” he growled lightly.

Cybele was also the one that had quite literally manhandled him into accepting the offer. Her and the High Priestess Arcana forcing him to accept over the threat of intense and blindingly-painful migraines. That was how Akira found himself to be the Second-Year representative of the Student Council.

Cybele giggled in his mind, floating languidly in the air as Akira grumbled to himself because he couldn’t even control himself.

Wow, that’s a weird sentence to think of.

“Tch…” Akira clicked his tongue but was forced to change his focus as Muninn came across something.

Ryuji.

Alone.

Cybele disappeared as Akira’s eyes narrowed, full focus now being paid on Muninn as it watched Ryuji journey to the courtyard by himself. Relinquishing his connection to Muninn, Akira leaned over the ledge to peer down into the courtyard, beholding to the single member of the Phantom Thieves waiting expectantly in front of the cognitive barrier.

“Where the hell is Rem?” Akira muttered to himself as he connected his consciousness to both Huginn and Munnin simultaneously as they scoured the Palace in search of the Trickster. Deep within himself, he could feel as Chi You became restless at the lack of the Trickster, Akira feeling the same as he dismissed both ravens.

A light shone beneath Odin’s eye-patch as the two reformed into his left-eye.

Akira stared contemplatively.

“Ongyo-Ki.”

The black oni that was controlled by Fujiwara no Chikata appeared, barely taking a moment to bow respectfully to Akira before it bounded off six-blocks east, natural ease of movement and superhuman physical capabilities allowing it to make its way to its destination. It also helped the Akira didn’t live all too far away from Madarame’s shack.

Akira sat back down, his right leg propped up against the ledge as a long black case was plopped down beside him with a muted thud, Ongyo-Ki returning to the Sea of Souls with its duty as a transported completed. With a flick of his thumb, Akira absentmindedly began to assemble the model sniper-rifle as he watched Ryuji carefully.

Within moments, the bolt-action Blaser R93 Tactical model rifle was fully assembled in his lap before he propped it up, the bipod beneath the barrel resting on the concrete ledge where his foot was while the stock was resting against his shoulder.

Closing his right eye, he placed his left against the scope, adjusting it as he looked at the cognitive block.

Ryuji wouldn’t be able to defeat the Nue that inevitably came out. Hell, both he and Ryuji had barely been able to beat it together.

Guess there was a reason for everything.

Akira’s closed right-eye connect with Odin’s, his vision overlapping with two different perspectives. One gazing at the cognitive barrier through the scope while the other looked through the eye of a god famed for wielding Gungnir, ‘the spear that never misses.’.

Akira took a deep calming breath as he settled his heartbeat with only one thought flowing through his mind before it inevitably disappeared.

_‘Where the hell is Rem?’_

* * *

Rem twitched violently as she and Ann stood in the centre of Yusuke’s room, the two standing awkwardly in front of the blue-haired teen who was turned around preparing his art supplies for Madarame’s next great masterpiece.

Of them.

 _Nude_.

Rem twitched violently once more when Yusuke opened his mouth to speak, utter joy lacing his words. “To think that you’d both truly come… I’d assumed you were lying when you contacted me, but to think I’d be bearing witness to such a momentous occasion in my life!” Yusuke spoke overjoyed, but the joy turned into confusion as he looked at Rem and Ann.

“Yeah…. momentous alright…” Rem murmured lowly, her eye twitching while Ann laid a placating hand on her shoulder.

“We’re doing this to change Madarame’s cognition remember? We need to do this…” Ann hissed before grimacing at the reality of the situation they were in, “…even if I don’t want to do this.”

“I’m afraid I do feel the need to let you know that Sensei will be returning within the half-hour. So, um… I’m sorry if that causes some anxiety on the both of you,” Yusuke apologised hesitantly.

“That’s the only reason why we’re here…” Rem whispered beneath her breath, shaking in mortification and anxiousness in equal measure.

“Oh, did you say something?” Yusuke asked, barely able to hear the slight noise that Rem produced as she groused to herself and look over at the two girls.

“No, it was nothing!” Ann yelped before sending a warning glare at Rem who grumbled but nonetheless quietened down before she gave them away.

“By the way…” Yusuke began as he cast a roaming eye over the two of them, “…have the both of you gained some weight since the last modelling session?”

Ann shook her head frantically while Rem simply gave a brittle plastic smile. “Not. At. All.” Rem forced out through gritted teeth, unable to compute the fact that Yusuke couldn’t seem to see or chose to ignore that the both of them were bundled under _thirty layers of clothes_ and were essentially sweltering beneath them.

“I’m the same weight as always… maybe I’m bloated today?” Ann offered, a strained smile on her face as the two of them stood there under multiple layers of clothes, sweating from the sheer amount of body heat they were exuding.

If Yusuke noticed or thought anything strange of it, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he chose to begin their modelling session. “Very well then… are you both ready to begin?” Yusuke asked as he placed his painting supplies before his eased and looked at the two, a look of slight apprehension apparent on his face. “Would you both be okay with, um… getting ready in here?” he asked hesitantly.

“We… need to take our clothes off, right?” Ann broached tentatively, less than excited at the prospect of what was about to come.

“Yes, please…” Yusuke turned away.

“We’d. Love. To.” Rem ground out tightly.

“Would you be okay with turning around, Kitagawa-kin? I don’t think Rem’s comfortable with you looking an… I’m a bit embarrassed myself,” Ann pleaded, desperately hoping Rem wouldn’t just snap and knock Yusuke unconscious again.

Yusuke obliged and turned around.

A singlet went flying his way, flopping across the paint-stained floor with a muted thump causing Yusuke to close his eyes in order to stop his thoughts from swaying into dangerous territory.

The sound of another piece of discarded clothing caused him to open his eyes for a second.

A skirt lay motionless on his floor. Soon, more and more pieces of clothing began to hit the floor prompting him to squeeze his eyes shut, partially out of respect for the women behind him while another part was out of fear of feminine wrath as one of the said women had proven more than capable of knocking him out with a single straight punch.

“No… I’m doing this for the sake of art!” Yusuke murmured to himself, but his words were more than capable of reaching both Ann and Rem who paused for a moment in their undressing.

“Don’t look over here, okay?” Ann chirped, reminding him more than anything.

“Try it,” Rem invited, but the tone in her voice was near scathing despite the tempting invitation which Yusuke was wise to decline.

More muted thumps and thuds as more and more articles of clothing were discarded onto the thing wooden flooring. “Um… your sensei’s coming back soon, right?” Ann asked innocently.

“I believe so…” Yusuke muttered unsurely, still listening to clothing being discarded.

“Do you think we could do this somewhere else then? A little more atmosphere would be lovely…” Ann asked curiously.

Rem froze as she was pulling off the final article of clothing aside from her normal school uniform, her head swivelling mechanically to looked at Ann with a horrified expression. Ann winced as she noticed Rem’s face, but elected to ignore it.

Yusuke shook his head in denial, eyes still clenched shut. “This room should provide more than sufficient for the requirements of this painting,” Yusuke declined.

“But wouldn’t a room with a lock be a bit better?” Ann asked hesitantly, Rem staring at her as if she couldn’t have been any more obvious.

“A… lock?” Yusuke uttered to himself confused.

“We don’t exactly want anyone to walk in on us… nude…” Rem managed to say between grit teeth. Even though this was for the sake of stealing Madarame’s treasure, it didn’t change the fact that the prospects being this was less than ideal.

“I’m sure you can understand, right?” Ann simpered.

“But… the only room with a lock is Sensei’s room…” Yusuke rebutted.

“Then why not there?” Rem asked with a raised brow, knowing that this was most likely the room that Morgana was currently lock-picking.

“I can’t intrude…” he shook his head, “Besides, I don’t have the key to open it…”

Rem was glad she had the forethought to send Mona on ahead to unlock the door while the two of them distracted him.

“Takamaki-san… Amamiya-san… are both of you ready, yet?” Yusuke finally built up the courage to ask as he turned around to look at two, opening his eyes.

Baleful red bore into him while cerulean blue tittered nervously as the two stood amidst two small mounds of clothes. “The two of you were wearing all this?” he uttered out astounded as to what he was seeing.

“W-Well, it is a bit cold today after all,” Ann explained quickly, Rem backing her up by simply crossing her arms beneath her breasts and stared at Yusuke unflinchingly.

“I suppose…” Yusuke muttered as he took a quick glance outside the thin rice-paper windows that allowed the rays of the setting sun to illuminate the room. “The sun is starting to set…” he murmured to himself contemplatively.

“Riiight?” Ann drew out unconvincingly, or at least to Rem it was unconvincing as she gave her blonde friend a disbelieving look at the fact that Yusuke seemed to be buying this. “That’s why a change of location would be nice…” Ann continued with a forced smile on her face, “I mean, we are gonna take it all off, after all.”

Rem’s face immediately turned brittle once more at that quaint little reminder.

“That is true…” Yusuke agreed, noting Ann’s forced smile and Rem’s twitching brow. “Perhaps it might make for a better picture if I can brighten my models’ mood…” he murmured with quiet contemplation.

Ann was quick to jump on his mutterings. “Uh-huh! That’s right!” she said as she pumped an arm in agreement.

It seemed, however, that may have been the wrong thing to say as it only caused Yusuke to delve deeper into his eccentric desires. “They may even be willing to try out various expressive posed for use in a dynamic composition…” his finger tapped his chin, a growing smile of excitement appearing on his face.

“What… kind of poses…?” Rem ground out, her brittle smile gaining a dangerous edge as Ann and Rem listened to his internal monologue.

“This isn’t getting anywhere. If we keep this up we won’t be able to open Madarame’s cognition…” Ann murmured to Rem despairingly. “I have an idea…” was all Ann said before she simply walked out of Yusuke’s room without so much as a word.

Rem and Yusuke stared at Ann in surprise, the blond-haired girl just up and leaving.

“Wait, where are you going?! If you wander around, Sensei will…!” Yusuke yelped after Ann. Rem quickly cottoned on to what Ann was doing and chased after her.

“Amamiya-san! Takamaki-san!” Yusuke called out after the two women who were now wandering around the atelier.

Rem and Ann quickly found Mona who’d already finished unlocking the door.

“Please, I keep telling you that you cannot wander around!” Yusuke said hurriedly as he chased after that two women. “Sensei will be back any minute-!” Yusuke pleaded with the two but was cut off as the front door slid open.

“I’m home!” Madarame’s voice cut through the house, Yusuke whirling around in shock while Ann and Rem perked up.

“S-Sensei!?”

“Yusuke?” Madarame asked as his footsteps echoed through the hall.

Morgana slid the door open, Ann quickly rushing in while Rem grabbed Yusuke by the wrist and dragged him in.

Madarame turned the corner to see the three enter.

* * *

Akira watched through the scope and through Odin as the gaudy doors that acted as the barriers to Madarame’s cognition shot open, Ryuji yelping down below in surprise as the red electricity gates blocking the path powered down allowing him entrance. He watched as Ryuji quickly scrambled inside, his spot on the rooftop allowing him an excellent vantage and view for the most part to follow Ryuji’s movements until at most the statue of Madarame. anything else was impossible for Akira to see unless he actually followed.

This was more than perfect for his needs.

“Odin, give me a view on Ryuji and the guard approaching,” Akira ordered as the image in his closed right-eye shift slightly, the exceptional eyesight provided by the one-eyed god displaying Ryuji approaching the guard in crystal clarity.

It was impossible for them to tell what they were saying at this distance, but Akira didn’t need any such things.

All he needed was an opportunity.

He watched as the red distorted bodyguard of the Palace erupted into black and red, the puddle quickly reforming into the larger size of Nue, the legendary Japanese monster with the head of a monkey, the arms and legs of a tiger, the torso of a racoon dog, and the tail of a snake.

All too soon, Ryuji, hard-headed as usual jumped into the fight, quickly casting Tarukaja immediately before sending successive lightning bolts in the form of Zionga’s with Captain Kidd floating ominously behind him atop his grinning vessel.

It was unfortunate as while Zionga with Tarukaja was a more than adequate strategy when fighting, this particular Nue was at least five levels stronger than Ryuji, and that’s not taking into account the fact that Nue didn’t have an elemental weakness to electricity.

Chi You rumbled in discontent as Akira continued to focus on the fight, the rifle in pressed against his chest heavy as he focused. “Will you be quiet?!” Akira hissed in annoyance to himself, Chi You abruptly ceasing his rumbles but still stayed restless within the Sea of Souls like the rest of the Chariot Arcana.

Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself to ignore the scene playing in his right-eye and focused on his left, his scope centred on the Nue. Factoring in basic bullet speed, lack of air resistance and bullet drop within Mementos, and the speed in which it took Ryuji to withdraw his shotgun and pull the trigger, Akira had all of an eighth of a second to focus and fire. That was discounting the fact he needed to consider the distance between Ryuji and the Nue, the bullet spread of a shotgun, and the allowance that gave Akira to fire

His left hand drifted to the sniper case, withdrawing a smaller calibre bullet, a single 7.62x51mm NATO round, one of the smaller calibres available for this particular rifle and inserted it into the receiver. In one smooth motion, the bullet was inserted and the bolt was pulled back and locked with a click signalling the bullet was ready to be fired. Smoothly once more, his left reached out and placed a single-use muzzle brake on the end of the rifle in order to reduce flash and sound.

Sound-wise it wouldn’t do a lot but over the sound of fighting it would go largely unnoticed.

Akira allowed his breathing to even out in nothing, holding his breath, a feat made possible due to his already supernaturally enhanced body with the thanks of Odin. He held his breath as he watched through the lens as Ryuji continued to pelt the Nue with Zionga’s and his mace, whittling down its health little by little.

“Come on Ryuji… pull out your gun,” Akira murmured breathlessly as he watched the fight continue. It was obvious that Ryuji was quickly losing steam and if he didn’t finish the fight soon, the cognition would soon lock him inside without any way of the others helping him.

“Pull it out!” Akira growled quietly, Chi You and the Chariots becoming restless within his Sea of Souls. It was Odin who’d noticed Ryuji’s left shoulder muscles tense in a specific pattern, in almost agonising slowness it observed as Ryuji placed his left arm behind his back, his palm resting on the handle of his shotgun and beginning to draw it out.

All of the information gained at that moment was immediately seen by Akira who adjusted his sights accordingly. Odin impeccable eyesight granted him clarity and sight of the exact moment the muscle in Ryuji’s finger twitched and pulled the trigger.

Akira had already fired by the time Ryuji finished pulling the trigger of his shotgun, sending six successive shotgun blasts at the Nue, directly into its face.

He allowed a sigh of relief to escape him as the Nue fell over dead in front of Ryuji, riddled with multiple bullet holes. If Ryuji looked closer he’d have been able to notice a much large bullet hole compared to the ones left by his shotgun but the Nue’s body quickly erupted into black ash and fading away like every other deceased shadow leaving nary a trace of Akira’s interference to be discovered.

With little care, Ryuji ventured further in.

Akira reclined against the concrete wall, the rifle dropping from his shoulder as he absentmindedly began to disassemble the model sniper rifle. The view in his right-eye returned to normal, the disparity between his own eyesight and the crystal clear of Odin’s more than noticeable.

“Ongyo-Ki.”

The black Oni appeared once more, this time just the slightest bit irritated at its duty of carrier but nonetheless accepted the case containing the sniper rifle and swiftly carried it back to his house. It was a part of himself after all and they all wanted the same thing.

The Chariot Arcana ceased their restlessness as Ryuji quickly came sprinting out, the doors to the second half of Madarame’s Palace still open behind him as several figures came falling down from the sky.

His duty was done for the day. He allowed Odin to separate himself partially from the Sea of Souls, the one-eyed god standing impassively on the rooftop his left-eye glowing as Huginn and Muninn came to fulfil their duties as the Phantom thieves escorted Yusuke out of Madarame’s Palace only to come face-to-face with the man’s Shadow.

Huginn and Muninn watched as Yusuke awakened to his Persona. Odin gave the barest smile of approval before dismissing the duo, himself being dismissed soon after at Akira sat back in exhaustion, rubbing the soreness building within his mind.

It’d been a while since he’d used so many personas at once, much less multiple Ultimate personas simultaneously. At least he had a few days to rest before they sent out their calling card for Madarame.

Of course, that meant he had to keep an eye on Ueno from now till the end of the exhibition.

* * *

Akira stared at the multitudes of calling cards spread out on each individual car in front of Madrame’s exhibit the following day after school.

“Of course, taking a day off would have been too freaking simple…” Akira growled to himself, a small amount of budding annoyance as he rubbed his tired eyebags.

**_ding-a-ling_ **

Akira rose a brow as his phone jingled, signalling he was receiving a phone call. Picking it up he noticed that caller ID was Goro.

“What’s up?” Akira asked tiredly.

“Ah, Akira,” Goro greeted but he sounded tired himself. “I’m just calling to let you know that I’ll be coming him late tonight, I’m afraid there’s another case that’s been submitted. I’ve been placed on an investigation regarding the new Phantom Thieves of Hearts group.”

Great… such wonderful timing Akira couldn’t help but think as he eyed the conspicuous cards littered around the front of Ueno, noting some police officers that were currently looking at calling cards.

“No dinner tonight then?” Akira asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer.

“Haha… I’m afraid not,” Goro answered, “I did end up taking some more food than usual for lunch so that should tide me over until I get home.”

Akira nodded. “I’ll set aside some leftovers for you tonight then. Good luck on the case, and take care of yourself. No late nights.”

He could almost feel Goro roll his eyes.

“Hey, I felt that,” Akira joked.

“Yes, mother…” Goro let out a fond if slightly aggrieved sigh. “I’ll be back by midnight then, no need to stay up. See you later Akira,” Goro said before ending the call.

Akira stared at his phone for a moment, before slowly pocketing it. He looked over at the numerous calling cards.

“Thanks, asshats,” Akira grumbled as he began to walk away, his mind already working overdrive to get ready for the theft of Madarame’s Treasure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot broke 100k words.
> 
> Nap time now


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, double sike! Third chapter in a day! Here we are with Chapter 21!

“Freaking Phantom Thieves of Hearts, my left butt-cheek…” Akira grumbled as he crouched from atop one of the nearby rooftops, sniper rifle scope in hand sans the actual sniper rifle. Within the Sea of Souls, Odin and Ongyo-Ki stood at the ready.

Huginn and Muninn, fragments of Odin and therefore fragments of Akira flittered through the dark distorted skies of Madarame’s Palace, weaving and bobbing through gales as they traced the path of the Phantom Thieves. Huginn stood perched in the rafters where Morgana would inevitably be lowered down via the cable above the now manifested treasure while Muninn was perched on the rooftop of Madarame’s Palace near the distorted exit at the very top where the Phantom Thieves would inevitably escape to.

“You couldn’t have just wait one day, just one day!” Akira hissed to himself, annoyance bubbling in his chest before he quickly squashed it down. He let out an aggrieved sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose just beneath the black-mask he wore as he shook his head.

In the Sea of Souls, Odin shook his head in disapproval of his actions while Ongyo-Ki was indifferent.

“Yeah, yeah…” Akira muttered, waving away the imaginary but truthfully all-too-real disapproving look he was receiving as he focused on Huginn as the one-half of the twin ravens noticed Rem tearing through shadows just a few levels below it as they made their way up to the control room.

Akira knew that there was a Safe Room just adjacent to the control room so why was Rem killing Shadows? Was she grinding them?

**RED**

Akira clutched at his head as the sound of a jail cell slamming open tore through his mind, causing a sharp gasp to leave his mouth in surprise. He wasn’t the only one as his entirety of the Sea of Souls roiled in confusion.

“Wh-What?” Akira gasped out as he cradled his head. It wasn’t painful… just surprising and unexpected. All of his Personae were in different states of confusion but there was one that stood out above them.

The Ultimate Persona of the Star Arcana rose above the rest of his brethren.

He felt as the left side of his rib _burned_ , Akira quickly scrambling to remove the holster for Tyrant Pistol, and the pistol itself as it began to glow a hot-red. A gloved hand held it within his grasp, watching as the winged pistol glowed before Lucifer disappeared from his Sea of Souls leaving an empty void behind.

“What the-?” Akira sputtered as he looked at his pistol, the Tyrant Pistol beyond rhyme or reason was stronger in his grasp while Lucifer was missing. The hand not holding the Tyrant Pistol flew into his back pocket and withdrew the compendium, the pages flipping to the Star Arcana by themselves, a single entry blazing to life as Akira summoned Lucifer from the compendium and the void was filled once more.

Akira sagged in relief as he was whole once more. “So… wanna explain what that was?” Akira asked aloud, the question directed inwards while the rest of his Persona looked at the Ultimate of the Star expectantly.

**The Red called for Greater Power. The Star answered the call.**

**Thou hast been bestowed upon with thy power once more.**

Lucifer rumbled within the depths before falling silent.

“So… red… weird things happen. Good to know…” Akira rubbed his temple and the newest thing in this world to be on the lookout for. So, if he wasn’t bleeding out and near a prison cell; chances are weird shit was happening that would affect his Persona.

“I swear this reality is a mess…” Akira groused as he allowed himself to reconnect with Huginn; only to find that-

“Oh, fucking hell!” Akira growled as he noticed that alarms were blaring throughout the inside of the museum while the Treasure was gone. “You couldn’t have let me know earlier?” he asked rhetorically as he severed the connection to Huginn and connected with Muninn outside. The whole thing with the red had left him more than frazzled.

Muninn took to the skies as it circled the gaudy golden statue that was the holder of Madarame’s Treasure, or at least, it was until Rem and company had stolen it was were now somehow in the courtyard, most likely through one of Madarame’s distorted teleportation doors.

Akira disconnected from Muninn and dismissed the twin birds, the two of them returning to Odin within the Sea of Souls while Akira leaned over the side and watched as Morgana took the front. The heritor of hope was looking quite ridiculous with a purple clothed painting held over his back, it’s entire length large than his body. The rest of the Phantom Thieves, Rem, Ryuji, Ann, and their newly added Yusuke taking up the rear.

Mona was getting ansty, wanting to look at the treasure and it wasn’t long until the Velvet Room attendant gave in and unravelled the Treasure in the centre of the courtyard. Only to reveal that it wasn’t a Treasure at all but a counterfeit.

Akira watched as the electrical fencing rose from the ground, the group jumping away just in time while Madarame strolled into view, two guards at his beck and call.

Ichiryusai Azazel Madarame; the Fallen Angel of Vanity had taken to the stage.

Akira was glad he hadn’t brought his rifle, otherwise, he wasn’t all too sure he wouldn’t have blown Madarame’s head off the moment he’d displayed the real Sayuri, the sole memento of Yusuke’s mother, a self-portrait displaying the loving gaze of a mother towards her child.

Odin called for blood.

Akira ignored the hounds of war ringing in his head as the Ultimate of the Emperor fell into a blinding rage and uncaring reason, the once wise god-king of Asgard become nothing more than a wild beast baying for blood.

He ignored the blinding headaches as every Arcana moved to shutout the Emperor for the time being. So long as Odin had lost his reason and wisdom, Akira wouldn’t be calling upon him.

Maybe it was a mistake for Akira to concentrate inwards rather than outwards as a jagged blade erupted from the right side of his chest. Long since dulled battle instincts whirled to life at full capacity as pain blossomed.

The Ultimate Persona of the Judgement Arcana lost itself in fury.

‘ _Phantom Thief investigation my right ass-cheek!'_ Akira growled mentally as the blade was torn out; thankfully having missed any vital organs while also passing through the empty space where some of his ribs had once been before they’d been shattered into dust. It didn’t change the fact that it hurt like hell.

But Akira had survived the wrath of a god and this only amounted to as much as a flesh-wound. Already, Ishtar was casting a Diarahan from the Sea of Souls, the injury disappearing in a matter of seconds leaving naught but a scar behind.

A black-gloved hand encompassed Goro’s head, clutching at his helmet and the black mask with it before hurling him with inhuman strength supported by the Voice of God out of the Palace and into the nondescript streets and buildings that made up their neighbourhood. He needed to remove Goro from the Palace before the two of them inevitably drew the attention of the Phantom Thieves.

Already Akira could hear the sound of fighting begin as they Phantom Thieves fought Azazel. Hopefully, it would mask the sound of the fight that was going to take place. Taking a running jump, Akira landed in the middle of the Metaverse streets of their neighbourhood with little fanfare well over ten blocks away from the Palace proper.

Goro in his Black Mask outfit looked little worse for wear even though he’d crashed through a building before the force of the impact created a trench in the Metaverse’s asphalt from where his body had slid through. He did, however, seem more than staggered as he got to his feet, what was likely a concussion already developing.

Akira rolled his eyes as Metatron within his Sea of Souls looked at Goro torn between fury that he’d hurt his master and indignation at his master ‘s actions against their fated contractor. Metatron relented as it seemed like Goro wouldn’t back down, Loki phasing in and out of existence behind him.

“Who are you?!” Goro hissed caustically, crouched low to the ground with a jagged-toothed sabre in hand while he bayed like a rabid animal.

Akira drew Tyrant Pistol and levelled it at Goro. A tiny dancing ice-demon formed at his side without Akira removing his mask. It wasn’t wise for Akira to show Goro all of his cards. As much as he loved him like a brother, sometimes you just needed to beat the stupid out of your little brother, or in this case, Akira’s sociopathic older housemate.

“Time to die-ho!” Jack Frost greeted as he gave a little dance.

“Are you… mocking me!?” Goro growled as he clutched at his mask before ripping it free, “I just wanted to take you out since you seemed like a good target at the time. But now… now you’ve just pissed me off!”

Goro’s true persona flickered into existence. Laevateinn, a pair of pliers holding a red-hot sword appeared in the air before slamming into the asphalt. Immediately the ground began to bubble from the sheer heat exuding from the blade, too hot to touch safely without the pliers. Atop the pliers, or more accurately, floating atop it in a mockery of sitting was a golden zebra-footed humanoid head to toe in a black and white pattern displaying a lack of loyalty.

Akira couldn’t help but notice that Goro truly was a wildcard, more than able to segment parts of his personality so he was true to each and every one of them. The Goro that Akira knew as his housemate was as much a true facet of himself as the Black Mask that stood before him.

He shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in thoughts. If Goro was here, it likely meant he was trying to go around and kill either the Phantom Thieves or Madarame, or less likely, gather information. Actually, gathering information on the Phantom Thieves was the more likely of the two if he wanted to gain their trust.

“Laevateinn!” Goro roared, the red-hot blade once wielded by the fire god Surt lifting from the liquid asphalt and came careening down at Akira.

Akira watched as it sliced down towards him.

“Ice Age.”

* * *

Goro sighed as he put down his phone.

What a great friend he was, lying to Akira about investigating the Phantom Thieves. Well… it wasn’t exactly a lie so much as it was an omission of the truth. He was technically going to be investigating the Phantom Thieves… just not in an official capacity.

He looked down at the innocuously hand-crafted calling card sitting between two gloved fingers. Shido was ordering for him to investigate possible entities capable of entering the Metaverse and gather information on them for future use. Goro could already tell what Shido was plotting, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts made for an effective scapegoat for every past and future crimes he would and will commit.

The method that the Phantom Thieves has used on Suguru Kamoshida was astonishingly similar to the way in which he himself induced mental shutdowns… and it seemed the PE teacher and now disgraced Olympian wasn’t their only target. Their next one was Ichiryusai Madarame, one of Shido’s financial backers and it seemed his use was in danger.

“Sir Ichiryusai Madarame, a great sinner of vanity whose talent has been exhausted,” Goro muttered to himself as he read the card. Thankfully, rather than being at the precinct, he was currently at home in his bedroom reading it. “You are an artist who uses his authority to shamelessly steal ideas of his pupils,” Goro continued reading, “We have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From, the Phantom Thieves.”

Goro placed the card down at his desk and stared at in contemplatively.

He was beginning to notice the correlation between this calling card and the last one, and while there were some large aesthetic differences between them, they were still following the same vein. They targeted adults or individuals that had committed crimes that were being hidden from the general public.

Additionally, these individuals seemed to have a Metaverse distortion that centred around a single sin. Suguru Kamoshida had been Lust. Ichiryusai Madarame was already stated to be Vanity. Goro himself could think of two more of Shido’s associated that had Palaces and also had distortions centred around a specific sin while also fitting the criteria of hiding crimes from the public.

Junya Kaneshiro with Gluttony for money.

Kunikazu Okumura with an ambitious Greed.

And if Goro counted Shido himself who he knew had a Palace… Masayoshi Shido, the Prideful future president of Japan.

Huh… wasn’t that a thought?

“The Phantom Thieves of Heart…” Goro muttered as he looked at the card. One change of heart had already been proven successful. If he could find their method as they change Ichiryusai Madarame’s… perhaps it was possible to replicate its effect.

…

Dammit.

Goro rubbed the uncomfortable feeling in his chest as he entertained the idea of changing Shido’s heart. Not destroying it, but changing it.

And it wasn’t all too hard to realise why.

He didn’t want to be looked at as if he was a monster… he didn’t want Akira to somehow find out the things he’d done from the moment he’d set foot in this house, lived under his roof, and gained his trust.

He didn’t want Akira to look at him and only see the monster he really was. Just like he didn’t want his mother to know of the murderer her son had become all for the sake of eventually killing one man.

Deep in his mind, Loki growled in discontent. Goro’s representation of his malevolence, ill-will and hatred. The part of him that wanted to tear Shido’s beating heart out of his chest and crush it in front of him.

But Loki was discontent, not enraged.

Loki liked Akira. Loki was a part of himself, just as much as Robin Hood was. And for Akira… they’d threatened to kill a man and were more than willing to go through with that threat. But to not kill a man and instead force him to confess his sins… to force Shido to confess his sins with his own mouth.

Goro would admit that it held an appeal. Maybe this feeling meant that at the end of this path, Goro would finally find somewhere he belonged. He wanted Akira to be there at that end.

Deep in his psyche, Robin Hood nurtured the budding facet of Goro’s self. This bud was unlike Robin Hood’s Justice or Loki’s Chaos. Loki watched in interest as _something_ was forming aside from just the two Persona.

Goro shook his head. He was getting off-topic. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the address Shido’s janitor had supplied as Madarame’s atelier. His brow rose as he noticed it was in the exact same neighbourhood as his and Akira’s house.

His hand finger hovered for a moment atop the Metaverse application that had appeared on his phone more than three years ago. He thought about it for a moment. To gather information for Shido… a part of him wanted to ignore him… but another… the alluring call of finding and replicating the methods of the Phantom Thieves…

Goro’s gloved finger tapped the Metaverse icon.

_Please input candidate._

“Ichiryusai Madarame.”

_Result found. Please input location._

“Madarame’s Shack.”

_Candidate found. Please input keyword._

This one gave Goro pause, but he recalled exactly where the officers at his precinct had found the calling card.

“Ueno Museum and Exhibition Centre.”

One of them had to be the keyword.

_Candidate found. Beginning Navigation._

“Heh… easy,” Goro smirked as the world wavered, his own room dying itself red before falling to dark with an umbral blue. He rose a brow. Nothing seemed all that different to him when he looked around.

He opened the door to his room and looked around. At the end of the hallway from the singular window sitting innocuously allowed vibrant rays of golden light to enter the house. Goro had a feeling he’d be able to find the Palace easily enough.

* * *

Goro growled as he made his way through the hallways of the goddamn gaudy structure that situated itself in the middle of his neighbourhood. The Palace of Ichiryusai Madarame was a giant golden plated building, a vain mass of distortions that made it more than evident as to why he’d earned the moniker as the ‘great sinner of vanity’ from the Phantom Thieves.

Loki’s burning sword swiped through the torso of an approaching guard, the building on high alert. The top and bottom half of the Shadow fell to the ground before dissipating into motes of black.

“We have a second intruder! He’s wearing a black-mask-urk!” was all the Shadow was able to yell into his walkie-talkie before he was cleaved in half.

Weak shadows were pathetic and had no use in putting in any effort. Goro just allowed Loki free-reign as he made his way through the winding corridors. It didn’t take long before Goro found himself in a room full of distorted paintings.

“I… am not doing this,” Goro growled as he realised the painting was a labyrinthine structure that required him to enter in order to proceed through the Palace. He chose the easier option of backtracking his way through the Palace and returning to the entrance via the skylight.

Loki stood behind him, readying Laevateinn as he exited. Goro gave a small hop, Loki swinging the flaming sword akin to a bat, the soles of his feet meeting the sword without a single iota of pain before rocketing upwards towards the rooftops and landing with a muted thump.

It was a shame that the Shadow had been able to get a good look at him as it meant the more likely than not, Madarame’s Shadow was now aware of him. His feet silently patted against smooth stone as he walked over to the edge and found himself pleasantly surprised to be overlooking a courtyard.

He found himself even more pleasantly surprised when he found himself catching sight of a group more than likely being the Phantom Thieves while the ‘great sinner of vanity’ gloated before them. Strangely fortuitous, but he would take it.

He crouched behind the ledge, his mask reappearing as Loki faded out of existence, his presence no longer required for the moment.

“I suppose I can grant you a gist before you die – a glimpse of the genuine ‘Sayuri’!” Madarame gloated, his distorted voice more than audible even upon the rooftops. It was unfortunate that the Phantom Thieves below weren’t as audible.

Goro watched as Madarame revealed some sort of painting towards the Phantom Thieves. “…The ‘genuine’ Sayuri?” Goro couldn’t help but let out as he saw the famed painting. He knew that Madarame was selling counterfeits of the original in order to create a profit but what use did it have in the Metaverse?

Actually, looking closer, this painting seemed more complete than the one that Goro knew of. This ‘Sayuri’ seemed to be holding a babe in her hands. He noticed the blue-haired one recoil.

“Indeed, it is. This was painted by your mother. It’s a portrait of herself. A woman who knew her death was coming painted her last wishes, for the son she would leave behind. That is the truth behind the mystery of ‘Sayuri’s’ expression!” the vain shadow gloated

…

Goro… had never felt this before.

This… anger that raged in his chest. It actually made the rage her felt whenever he thought of Shido pale in comparison. Loki and Robin Hood bayed like wild hounds.

Goro looked a the self-portrait of a mother staring lovingly at her son. This… This son of a bitch took a mother’s last gift to her son and turned it into some kind of fucking of profit scheme?!

Goro could feel as red began to consume his vision, a bloodlust filling the air because if this bastard. He didn’t know what was happening.

Through the bloodlust, a small noise caught his attention on the rooftops, a dark figure crouching in the shadows overlooking the courtyard and down at the Phantom Thieves.

Goro didn’t care who this was or what they were doing but goddamit he needed to stab something!

In moments, he’s found himself standing behind the crouched figure, serrated sword raised high before plunging it into the figure’s back. Goro shivered in delight, the bloodlust in his veins dulling slightly at the needless violence, shivering once more as he tore the sword free.

The delighted smile on his face turned into once of confusion as the figure didn’t keel over like a normal person would or even burst into dark motes like a shadow. Instead, the figure, and in the moonlight was more than easily able to be made out as a male as he stood up, the hole in his coat showing the wounded flesh where Goro’s sword had been stabbed through his body re-knitting only leaving traces of a scar.

In the moonlight, Goro was able to take a good look at the figure. He had slicked back raven hair, a black mask with two flat red lenses, a black duster coat, and similarly black clothes covering the entirety of his body. That was the last thing Goro was able to see before a black-clad palm encompassed his vision and he felt his body go weightless.

It was interesting to feel the distinct lack of anything except for gravity pulling you down into the hard-unforgiving earth. He laid there for a moment as his vision blurred, his mind filled with a certain fogginess signifying the onset of a concussion.

Then the bloodlust came rushing back, Loki joining the fray as that bloodlust shot to eleven when the sound of someone landing just a few feet away. Goro staggered to his feet, his serrated sword at his side as he stared down the black figure. He could feel as Loki began to manifest behind him, out of control.

“Who are you?!” Goro growled as he crouched low, sword at his side. The figure didn’t say anything but simply levelled an extremely detailed pistol at him. At the figure’s side, a small dancing white thing appeared, a grin on its face.

Goro recognised it from Mementos. It was an ice demon. So, this guy was a Persona-user as well

“Time to die, hoe!”

Goro stood still as he processed exactly what the little fucking piece of shit of a Persona had called him. “Are you… mocking me!?” Goro growled as he gathered his wits, looking at the silent black-clad figure and the little dancing piece of soon to be dead shit.

“I just wanted to take you out since you seemed like a good target at the time. But now… now you’ve just pissed me off!” Goro admitted with a feral yell, both hands reaching up to his black-mask and tearing it free with a roar.

Goro felt as his bloodlust increased, Loki joining the fray. “Laevateinn!” Goro ordered, the red-hot blade once wielded by the fire god Surt lifting from the liquid asphalt and came careening down at the black-figure.

The figure didn’t even seem the slightest bit concerned as he watched his approaching demise.

“Ice Age.”

The street became hoarfrost, a cold so intense that it turned the buildings and street around them into solid ice. Goro watched shocked as Loki disappeared, his mask re-appearing on his face and extreme mental fatigue entered his mind.

“Wh-What…?” Goro chattered out, the cold seeping into his bones.

Loki… Loki had just been killed. He could still feel the being inside his head but he knew his strongest Persona was extremely weakened. Weak enough that Goro couldn’t even summon him. Goro would have slumped if he could but that cold had frozen the very fibres of his clothes solid leaving him trapped in his outfit.

The sound of snow crunching beneath feet echoed through the street, cut out by only the sound of fighting emanating from Madarame’s Palace which now that he looked at it was much farther away than he’d realised.

“Wh-Who are you?!” Goro managed to growl out even with the likely oncoming of frostbite and likely death. The black figure continued his approach until he was face-to-face with him, black mask meeting black mask. Beside him, the stupid little ice demon danced in the snow. it had created.

A small smirk appeared on the figure’s face. “I… am just a remnant,” the figure spoke, voice deep with a timbre that sent shivers up Goro’s spine. “As much as I’d have loved to get back at you for this little addition you’ve added to my body,” the figure motioned to the open hole in the right side of his chest, “That’s just not my style.”

Goro collapsed to the ground as the intense cold disappeared, the buildings that had been turned to ice from the sheer cold also vanishing leaving a large chunk of empty space surrounding them. The mental exhaustion from Loki’s death began to set in, his body unable to move.

“I do have to thank you, however,” the figure said as he crouched over Goro, withdrawing a small can of something from his pocket, popping it open and taking a sip before setting by Goro’s side. “I’ve been getting a little frustrated with a certain bunch of idiots and I needed to let loose, so I guess… thanks for stabbing me!”

The figure said as he stood up. “That’ll give you some energy since I killed your Persona,” he waved. “Do me a favour and don’t try that again, yeah? I’d hate to have to do more than just kill your Persona. Toodles~” he gave a backwards waved before disappearing.

Goro just laid there for a moment, staring up into the moonlight of Madarame’s Palace an exhale of weakness emanating for his mouth as he did so.

Deep in his mind, Robin Hood stared contemplatively at the recovering from of Loki.

Goro barely had the strength to drink whatever the figure had drunk, displaying it wasn’t poisonous and in a rare display of wisdom, decided to drag himself home. He was thankful it was less than a block away from where he’d been tossed.

 _Exiting Palace_.

* * *

Who knew curb-stomping the ever-living shit out of a physical manifestation of your best friend's mind was so therapeutic? Akira sure hadn’t.

Metatron made a keen sound of disapproval at Akira as he returned to his perch. “What? he stabbed me without any warning! The least I could do was kill Loki, besides it’s not like they won’t recover,” Akira waved a hand dismissively. Metatron peered down at him in silent displeasure once more from the depths of his mind, before disappearing.

At least looking down at the Phantom Thieves, it was nice to know they could win a fight without him watching over them. Akira watched began to sob uncontrollably as Yusuke forced him to confess all of his crimes in exchange for his life.

“Wh-What about the other one though? The one with the black mask?” Madarame’s Shadow whimpered out.

What.

What?

“Fucking Goro…” Akira let out lowly as he realised Goro was never one for subtly and had probably sliced his way through tons of Madarame’s guards while he was here.

“Hm?” Yusuke uttered confused.

But Akira could see as Rem, Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana looked at each other in concern. Akira felt a pit appear in his gut.

“You guys don’t think he’s talking about Remnant… right?” Ann asked.

Ah, fuck-sticks…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, time to return to my assignments.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with Chapter 22 folks.
> 
> I will still be forever amazed that I’ve made it this far.
> 
> Edit: Wtf is this chapter. I just wrote it so I had something before the clean-up chapter. My midnight big brain just switched off with this one.

Checking off another tick box of forms that needed to be filled out, Akira groaned as he leaned back for a moment to massage his weary eyes. He looked over at the clock next to the stove from his spot at the kitchen table.

2:31 AM

He sagged.

“You… are so much more trouble than you’re worth,” Akira grumbled, Cybele tittering in his head, uncaring of the consequences of her actions. Following the collapse of Madarame’s Palace, Akira came home late in the evening and found Goro sleeping in his room likely recovering from severe mental exhaustion.

Rather than going to bed since he himself was suffering from exhaustion due to using Huginn and Muninn with Odin, whilst simultaneously keeping the Chariots in check on top of fighting Akechi, he’d, unfortunately, accepted the prestigious role of being the second-year representative of the Student Council. And, the second-year representative had duties to attend to.

Duties such as looking after the entirety of the second-year students and it _just so happens_ that there was a school-wide event coming in a few days and Akira was required to fill out a multitude of forms for each student and class.

There were five classes for the second year. Class 2-A all the way to 2-E. Each class had twenty-five students. This meant Akira had to fill out a hundred and twenty-five forms for each student, then a form for the class overall, and on top of that, collect and process the permission slips of each student.

This was the reason why he’d been up for the last six hours, processing each form by hand with enough coffee in his veins that if he didn’t have Chi You working overtime with his innate Repel Physical, he was pretty sure his heart would have popped from drinking three and a half liters of coffee or it might’ve just been luck that he hadn’t keeled over. He’d fully admit that it certainly wasn’t his smartest decision but desperate times begat desperate measures.

Add to the fact that Ishtar with Null Sleep and spamming Patra every other hour prevented his body from actually passing out from sheer exhaustion, and he was able to go technically weeks without sleep.

Of course, just because he _could_ go weeks without sleep didn’t mean he _should_. Null sleep just prevented him from falling asleep, it didn’t impart immunity to mental fatigue caused by sleep deprivation or insomnia. He’d once gone a month without sleep which wasn’t a smart idea, all things considered, he’d ended up talking to his coffee machine at like four in the morning thinking it was Goro.

Not exactly his shining moment but at least he knew now that going a month without sleep could make you think coffee machines were people.

But back to the point of paperwork. Akira wasn’t sure how in the world Makoto did this type of stuff on top of keeping her Academic Excellence while also looking like she did rather than an insomniac zombie. Times like these made him doubt if she was actually a human and not a robot.

“Oh, dear god… I’m entertaining Futaba’s weird thoughts…” Akira pinched his eyelids as he went for another cup of coffee, bringing it to his mouth only to find himself disappointed that it was empty.

Groaning, he ambled up and made his way over to the coffee machine to prepare another half-liter of the life-sustaining liquid. It wasn’t Leblanc coffee but it’d do something, the something being good or bad was just about anyone’s guess right now.

He heard movement coming from upstairs, a door creaking loudly before the sounds of heavy thuds coming down the stairs while he prepared the coffee pot. Putting some cream and sugar into his mug then adding the coffee, he picked up the mug and coffee kettle before turning around and-

“Well, you look like shit,” Akira said bluntly holding both containers of life-elixir in his hands while looking at Goro.

His usually well-kept brown-hair was suffering an extreme case of bed-hair while some heavy bags sat underneath eyes. He watched in half-lidded amusement as Goro just shambled over to the table like a zombie before collapsing in his seat, head face-down on the table.

That was such a big mood.

Setting his mug and the coffee kettle onto the kitchen table, Akira moved over to one of the cupboards and plucked out a mug for Goro and filled with enough sugar to give him a toothache and a hefty dollop of cream before filling it with coffee. With a push, he placed it on the table before sliding it over, the mug slamming lightly against Goro’s head none of the coffee thankfully sloshing out and burning him.

“I feel like it…” Goro grumbled as his head inched up, a hand grabbing the handle of the mug and downing the whole thing in a single chug. It was only thanks to the cream that Akira had added that Goro hadn’t stupidly scalded his throat from the otherwise fresh coffee. “What time is it?” the tired teen asked as he handed Akira the now empty mug.

Akira gave a hum of tired amusement as he set about making him another cup of coffee. “Half-past two,” Akira replied as he handed Goro back the mug filled who took it but rather than drinking just allowed its warmth to seep into his hands.

“I’m going to assume with how early you were asleep you didn’t eat anything when you got home,” Akira commented only to gain a noncommittal grunt in return. “I should probably take a break so is there anything you want?”

Goro’s head slammed into the table with a thud as he just grunted once more.

“How eloquent,” Akira rolled his eyes as he moved over to the kitchen cupboards and began to withdraw ingredients, such as flour, egg, baking powder, milk, sugar, and other miscellaneous ingredients along with a pan and a metal ring.

Moving swiftly he began to separate the egg whites from the yolk, beating them into stiff peaks before leaving them off to the side as he moved the yolk into a small bowl with some milk, baking powder, vanilla extract and a teaspoon of chocolate powder and began to whisk it until it was a batter.

Predictably, Goro’s head lifted the slightest bit as the sound of the batter being whisked resounded through the kitchen.

Adding the egg whites into the batter along with some sugar before folding them, Akira used his other hand to begin prepping the pan with some cooking oil then placing the metal ring in the center while it began to heat up. Pouring the batter into the ring mold, all he had to do was wait.

**_grumble_ **

A wry smile appeared on Akira’s face as he heard Goro’s stomach grumble, the smell of pancakes wafting throughout the house. In less than ten minutes, two plates of soufflé pancakes were served on the kitchen table with Goro looking less like a dead man walking and more like a hungry dead man.

“Itadakimasu,” the two clapped their hands together before Goro all but dug into the pancakes ravenously.

“I will still never understand your obsession with pancakes,” Akira shook his head lightly as he ate through their three-in-the-morning breakfast. Goro stopped for a moment to give him a light glower.

“You have a stupid obsession with coffee, you can’t talk,” Goro scoffed as he resumed his meal.

“Ah-ah,” Akira tutted chidingly as he moved his paperwork off to the side so it wouldn’t get stained by any stray drops of syrup, “It’s an addiction, not an obsession.” Goro just looked at him dully as he chewed on his pancake, disbelieving that Akira wasn’t even bothering to defend himself.

“Hey, I know it’s an addiction at least. I could have worse ones,” Akira shrugged uncaringly.

“Right,” Goro shook his head, marginally more awake now that he had pancakes in his stomach and enough caffeine that he was pretty sure he’d be keeling over at any given moment. He took notice of the pile of paperwork by Akira’s side.

“Why do you have so many papers?” he asked curiously as he stood up and placed his plate inside the dishwasher, washing his hands before moving over the papers to look them over without even Akira’s permission. Not that he’d cared, but it was the principle of the matter.

“These are… student forms?” Goro muttered, a small expression of confusion spreading across his face as he looked over the files. “Why do you have these?” he asked.

“I joined the student council.”

Goro stopped his rifling through the papers.

“What?” Goro’s head turned slowly, not really believing what he was hearing.

Akira just shrugged as he took one of the forms he’d yet to file from Goro’s grasp, a black pen in hand already filling out the form. “I joined the student council at Shujin,” he repeated once more simply, pen spinning in hand as he finished filling out the form and placing it to the side before grabbing another.

“You… joined the student council…” Goro said slowly as he placed the papers in his onto the table before pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Do I want to know how you managed to accomplish that?”

“Well… remember how I had some transcript forged when I fake-transferred?” he asked, Goro nodding. He remembered alright considered he’d only found out he even went to school because of the whole him jumping off a _three-story building_.

Robin Hood rumbled deep in his mind, Loki unable to do more than let out a low warble at the little reminder.

“Yeah well, I didn’t actually bother to check those transcripts before they were delivered to Principal Kobayakawa. He ended up recommending me to Niijima-senpai to be the second-year representative on the council because of my transcripts and my perfect scores on the two exams I’ve done,” Akira explained as he finished off another form.

Goro felt a small headache building as he listened. “Niijima? Would your student council president happen to be a Makoto Niijima?” Goro asked curiously as he recognized the familiar name.

Akira nodded while taking a sip of his coffee. “Yup. I’m going to assume she’s related to the Sae Niijima you’re liaising within the SIU?” Akira asked even though he knew the answer if only to keep up false pretenses.

“It’s likely. Niijima-san did inform me that her sister attended Shujin Academy,” Goro nodded. “I’m surprised you accepted to join the student council though, I would have thought any free time not spent at Leblanc is wasted,” he jabbed, Akira giving a small grunt of displeasure at that.

“It is…I can say with full confidence it’s easily one of the worst decisions I’ve made.”

“You’ve jumped in front of a speeding truck and jumped off a building to save people,” Goro reminded as he massaged his temple.

“Exactly,” grey eyes with dark eye bags looked at Goro. “I have to take care of every second-year. We have an outdoor field trip to Inokashira Park and I need to have these done by tomorrow and file them at school… actually, make that today,” Akira looked tiredly at the clock, reminding himself that it was morning. “I have to do this for every field-trip on top of whatever other duties I have to do.”

“Sounds… painful…” Goro said, not sure what else to say.

“It is…” Akira groaned as he filled out the last remaining form with a slam, Ishtar slipping from his mind as he packed away the last file and his empty plate. The two heading off to bed, separating into their own rooms till their alarms woke them up for school.

* * *

Akira sighed on his way to school come Monday.

“Kurusu-san!” a voice called out from behind him.

COLD

“Niijima-senpai,” Akira greeted as he turned around, the brown-haired bob-cut third year running up to him swiftly but orderly. “Can I help you?” he asked.

“Actually, yes,” Makoto nodded, red eyes staring up at his. “I was curious if you’ve finished filling out the second-year forms for the Inokashira Park field trip,” Makoto stated looking at him expectantly, that look of expectation turning into one of mild astonishment as he withdrew said papers.

“I just need to go and process them with each of the homeroom teachers before I hand them in,” Akira said before notice her surprise. “Why are you so shocked, Niijima-senpai?” he asked, curious’

Makoto shook her head, her mouth closing form where it had opened slightly. “Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t actually been expecting you to finish it so quickly,” she admitted.

“But… you told me to have it ready by the time I returned to school?” Akira uttered confused.

Makoto gave him a sheepish nod. “I did, but… no one’s ever actually done it time before. Usually, with field trips such as these we have to do a lot of last-minute document filing and processing,” she explained causing him to raise a brow at that.

“Is it always like this?” Akira asked curiously, wondering if this was what happened before.

Makoto gave a grimacing nod as she began to walk forward, Akira following beside her. “Even more so this time since the clean-up event was created so last minute by Principal Kobayakawa. We’ve only had the last two weeks to begin setting this up, and since it’s a school-wide event there’s still much to be done,” Makoto admitted as the two entered.

“I get the feeling there’s a lot I’ll be needing to do won’t there?” Akira asked, Makoto sending him a nod as they began to make their way up to the student council room.

“Unfortunately…” she said as they made their way into the student council room. “There’s no first-year representative on the council so someone will still need to take care of their forms before the thirtieth and process them,” she said as she placed her bag down, and moving over to the giant whiteboard calendar.

It was filled to the brim with writing and post-it notes, and if he looked closely they were all in the same handwriting, likely Makoto’s. Off to the side of the board was a piece of paper with a series of checklists.

“This… wasn’t what I thought being on the student council would end up encompassing,” Akira said as he looked over the whiteboard.

Makoto gave him a small wry smile. “It is taxing but it looks good on your transcripts, not that yours are anything to sniff at,” Makoto said, moving back into president mode.

“We still have to take care of the organisation for the day. Each of the student representatives will be taking care of fixing up the meals for each student’s years,” she said looking at him.

Akira let out a quiet groan. “Who’s the third-year representative?” he asked.

“Me…” Makoto said with a hesitant smile, “…but I need to oversee the entire clean-up so I won’t be able to help.”

Akira just looked at her before closing his eyes with a quiet huff. “Please don’t tell me I’ll be cooking for the entire school,” he gave a small desperate plea.

Thankfully, Makoto shook her head. “No, you won’t. I’ve managed to enlist the help of Doctor Maruki, but as of yet no other teacher wants to volunteer to help.”

“Wonderful…” Akira muttered beneath his breath, mentally cursing Cybele who giggle uncaringly at what she’d done to him.

“Okay… I can work with that, at least,” Akira eventually relented. “If worse comes to worst, I can split the load with him. I can take the second-years and half of the first-years while Doctor Maruki can take the third-years and the other half of the first-years,” Akira said, moving over to the white-board finally deciding to commit himself to what Cybele had lured him into.

“That would work, but that means you’ll need to spend the entirety of the day prepping a meal large enough for just under two-hundred students,” Makoto nodded, ticking off one item on the list.

“I can make a soup or curry,” Akira put the idea forth. “Rice doesn’t take too long to cook in large batches and I should be able to make a heavy curry. If that doesn’t work, I could always make a soup or stew but that could spoil if left outside for more than two hours.”

“Well… we’ll be using stovetops, and it wouldn’t hurt if we could find a large automatic rice cooker,” Makoto suggested but Akira shook his head. “Might take too long. They’re usually slower than cooking it by hand, I’ll just do it myself.”

Makoto looked at him with slight concern. “That’s a lot to take onto your shoulders, Kurusu-san,” she stated, but an expression of contemplation appearing on her face. “But… if the Home Economics club can help out, we can have them take care of the simpler tasks…”

Akira shrugged. “Give them an incentive or something to help out. They don’t have to help with cleaning up, only cooking. Hell, could even throw in an increase to their club fund allocation,” Akira suggested.

“No, the funding’s have already been allocated. But I think if they help with setting up the midday meals, that should be more than sufficient help towards the clean-up,” Makoto mused to herself before agreeing with Akira’s suggestion.

“Alternatively, Doctor Maruki and I along with the Home Economics club could work together to make a single meal so it’s consistent,” Akira offered. “While it would increase the workload, it should make it simpler if only one meal is being created even if the quantity being made is larger,” he said.

“I think that would be the best course of action. Having two different meals might cause students to fight for one or the other,” she conceded, “I’ll leave the cooking crew to you then, Kurusu-san.”

“We still need to do something about processing the first-year forms, however,” she muttered, tapping a finger on her chin.

Akira sighed. “I’ll take care of it,” he placed himself forward.

Makoto looked at him in surprise. “Y-You will?” she stuttered, shocked that someone was actually bothering to volunteer for such a tedious task. “Are you sure?” she double-checked.

Akira nodded. “It’s not like it could be any worse than the second-year forms,” Akira said, Makoto giving him a grateful smile.

“Thank you… I think Principal Kobayakawa was correct in recommending you. You’re quickly proving yourself, Kurusu-san.” Makoto smiled as she moved over to a pile of form, handing them to him.

Akira nodded as he took the forms. “I’ll try to have them done by tomorrow,” he said.

**Ding-Dong**

“Ah,” Makoto and Akira both looked up as the school bell rung signaling. “It seems we’ve run out of time. We should both head to homeroom,” she said as she picked up her bag, Akira picking up his own along with the first and second-year forms he needed to process, and a folder containing the student contact and emergency contact information for filling the forms out.

“I’ll go around during homeroom and process these with the teachers,” Akira said as they exited the student council room and began making their way down the stairs to their respective floors, Akira on the second and Makoto on the first.

“That would be wonderful,” Makoto gave him a thankful smile before they separated, Akira moving to homeroom while Makoto moved down the stairwell and towards the third-year floor.

* * *

Akira was twirling the pen in his hand contemplatively as he sat in the cafeteria, a mountain of first-year forms filled out while to the side there was a smaller pile of unfilled forms.

“Senpai?” a voice called out, getting his attention, silky red-hair, and red-eyes framed by a pair of black glasses looking at him, a large lunchbox in her hands. “I didn’t see you this morning,” she said, sitting down opposite him.

“Ah, sorry about that,” Akira apologized as he organized the papers to give her some room. “I had to meet with Niijima-senpai this morning,” he explained, her brow furrowing at his explanation.

“Again?” she tilted her head, crimson tresses falling as she did so, a strange look on her face. “Does it have something to do with why she called you into the student council room last Friday?”

Ah…

Akira just realized he’d completely forgotten to actually let Sumire know about what happened. “Yeah,” he nodded, “You’re now looking at the newest addition to the student council, the second-year rep to be exact.”

Sumire’s face became one of astonishment before morphing into the of a beatific smile. “That’s wonderful, senpai!” she cheered, a small amount of attention gathering in hr due to her volume but was otherwise ignored in favor of lunch. Akira let out a tired sigh as he shook his head, the smile on Sumire’s face dropping at his actions.

“Turns out it’s not as cracked up as you’d think it is. I’ve been filling out forms since last night for the second-year classes as the council representative,” Akira explained, noting her subdued cheer as she listened attentively. “Then, since there’s no first-year representative and Niijima-senpai needed the filled out for the clean-up event, I volunteered to do so.”

“You’re the one taking care of the first-years senpai?” Sumire asked surprised, looking at him in an almost considering manner.

Akira gave her a strange look as he nodded. “Yeah, why?”

Sumire looked downward, fiddling with her hands before looking back at him. “Well… honor students are actually exempt from having to attend the clean-up day, but…“ she fidgeted, deliberating her words, “ I don’t want to feel like I should be given special consideration just because I’m an honor student…”

Akira rose a brow as she quickly became quiet. “You… do realize you can just say you want to join in, right?” Akira asked, Sumire looking up at him. “I mean, it’s not like it’s difficult to add you in.”

“Are you sure, senpai?” she asked apprehensively. “You already seem to have so much given to you already… I don’t want to add more just because I want to join…” she deflected, warring between wanting to help and not to add more onto what already looked to be a lot on Akira’s plate; the small mountain of paperwork beside him looking more than intimidating.

“I’ve had to fill out over a hundred and twenty forms this morning, and a hundred during lunch. One more isn’t going to hurt,” Akira shrugged and before Sumire could say anything, he grabbed a spare empty form and quickly began filling it out.

“There,” he said as he handed her the form, the whole thing filled out in immaculate hand-writing stating her name, year, contact information, and emergency contact information. “Yours is probably the easiest since I’ve memorized yours and Shinichi’s numbers,” he said as he took the form back and placed it on the completed pile of forms.

Sumire looked at him, a smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you senpai!” she said, her head bowing in gratefulness.

“It’s the least I could do,” Akira shook his head as he grabbed another form and began to fill it out.

“Will you be joining with the clean-up, Senpai?” Sumire asked curiously as she began to unravel her lunch container.

Akira shook his head, the small hopeful smile burgeoning on Sumire’s face turning into a pout at his words. “I’ll be on cooking duty. First, second, and third-year reps were all designated for cooking, but there’s no first-year rep, and Niijima-senpai is too busy with actually overseeing the entire thing to cook,” he explained, the small pout on Sumire’s face turning into a frown.

“So, you’ll be cooking for everyone by yourself?” she asked, stunned that this was what they were going to do come clean-up day.

“Thankfully no,” Akira said with an amused smile as he paused in his writing to sit back for a moment. “Niijima-senpai informed me the Doctor Maruki volunteered for cooking duty. It’ll be myself, Doctor Maruki, and hopefully, the home economics club working together to fix the meals,” he said before offing Sumire a small grin.

“Maybe now you’ll actually be able to taste my cooking,” he joked.

Sumire’s only response was to give him a beaming smile.

“I look forward to it, Senpai!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know of any mistakes I made and I'll go back and fix them


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we are with Chapter 23 folks!

The day was here.

The 30th of May. The day when Shujin Academy would clean up Inokashira Park.

**_Ding-a-ling_ **

Akira groaned as his alarm rang through the otherwise peaceful piano music playing from his speakers, a hand fumbling around to turn it off. His hand found the alarm function on the top of the main speaker's control, bringing a stop to the cheerful jingling emanating around his room.

He rolled over his bed and just stared at the ceiling in quiet introspection. He’d said it before and he’d say it again.

Being on the student council was a pain.

He’d spent the last eight days planning the events of the clean-up because as it turned out, there were literally like two other people on the student council aside from him and Makoto, and they both already had jobs they were taking care of. Akira honestly hadn’t bothered to remember their names because… well they honestly just slipped from his minds the moment they’d finished introducing themselves

There was a treasurer and a secretary…. that was it. The treasurer seemed to be the one in charge of the funding allocated from the school to the clubs along with the expenditures during school events. The secretary was in charge of overseeing general tasks and enforcing school policies.

Akira, in some freak disaster, was now not only just the second-year representative… but also the vice-president.

He closed his eyes with a tired groan. It turned out that by proving he could actually be competent in his job, he was quickly promoted from a secretary alongside that other girl that was there to vice-president since he was the only other person doing most of the heavy lifting alongside Makoto. Makoto seemed more than relieved to have a competent individual assisting her since both the secretary and treasurer had their own hands full.

Akira couldn’t help but wondered how on earth Shujin Academy even functioned with their Principal accepting stupid amounts of bribes and allowing crimes to run amok while only functioning on what amounted to a skeleton crew of students keeping order. Even then, the student council ended up getting looked down upon because of the whole Kamoshida and Kaneshiro incidents with Makoto taking a majority of the flak even though it was out of her jurisdiction.

The Priestess Arcana were becoming slightly agitated but calmed at his insistence since that incident was a long way from coming.

He shook his head free from those thoughts, he had a clean-up event to attend. With one more groan, he began to get ready for the day.

* * *

“You’re not wearing your PE clothes… I’d thought you had the event in Inokashira Park today?” Goro noted with a brow as he entered the kitchen, Akira by the stove cooking some karaage wearing his regular black school uniform. He remembered a few mornings ago that Akira had basically been dead on his feet complaining about assisting in setting it up. Not only that, but it also reached his ears through his colleagues down at the precinct.

Smoothly, he moved over to the coffee machine like usual, going through the motions as he plucked out two mugs and preparing the coffee to his own preference. As he pulled down the lever of the machine, allowing the milky foam to pour down onto the murky brown-black liquid Akira shrugged.

“I’m part of the cooking crew so I don’t need to do any cleaning,” he said simply as he flipped the fried chicken, Goro giving a strange look at what was an unhealthy breakfast for the first meal of the morning. Normally Akira deigned to choose lighter meals, or on weekends, soufflé pancakes.

Oh well, it wasn’t like he could exactly argue. He’d tried cooking once and had almost burnt the kitchen down when he accidentally created on oil fire and tried to put it out with a glass of water. It was only thanks to Akira’s timely intervention that their kitchen was still functional. Taking a seat, he placed down the cups of coffee on opposite sides of the table, the ceramic clinking carefully against varnished wood.

“At least you won’t be physically straining yourself,” Goro commented as he pulled out his phone, looking through his work emails. “Doctor Hisegawa medical report did say you’d need around two months to recover and extenuating physical activities would only exacerbate your injuries,” he reminded while taking a sip of his morning coffee.

Akira paused slightly in his cooking, quietly recalling the fact the Goro had shoved his serrated sword through his chest before ripping it out. “I… completely forgot about that…” Akira admitted as he plucked the pieces of fried chicken out of the pan and into a sieve to allow them to cool.

Goro looked up at him from the table, an unimpressed look on his face. “You forgot… that you’re still recovering from severe injuries related to your own well-meaning but idiotic actions?” he said slowly as he placed his phone down and stared at Akira.

The black-haired teen winced slightly at his words. “Yes…?” he uttered out, wincing even more as Goro just stared at him deadpan before eventually shaking his head in disappointment.

“Perhaps the reason you were placed on the student council was because you’d likely strain yourself with any physical activities… I don’t think your Principal would like seeing one of his students injured again,” Goro said as he rolled his eyes, a small part of him taking note of that possibility. It seemed Kobayakawa might be staying good on his word. Not that he had much choice on the matter, of course.

“Possible? Yes. Likely? Also, yes,” Akira murmured with a smirk on his face as he separated the chicken into one-third in a plastic container, while the remainder was placed on a plate with some white rice in a large bowl on the side. He gave Goro the container while the rest was placed on the kitchen table.

“Thank you,” Goro nodded as he tucked the container away into his briefcase, the container locked and air-tight leaving him unworried of what it could do to his documents. “Is there a reason you decided to go with karaage for breakfast?” he asked as he took some of the fried chicken before spooning some white rice onto his plate.

Akira’s shoulders rose and fell in an indifferent gesture. “I’ll be cooking a lot of it for lunch, I figured I might as well get some quick practice in,” he said honestly as he did the same, digging into the heavy breakfast quickly since he only had half an hour before he needed to get going.

One of Goro’s brow rose in a questioning manner. “You’re cooking karaage… for over four-hundred students… are you crazy?” he couldn’t help but ask as he ate.

“Three-hundred and seventy-eight student altogether, actually… and yes, I am,” Akira corrected carelessly before continuing. “I’m making karaage curry with the school counsellor while the home economics club will be taking care of the miscellaneous things such as rice or pickled radish.”

“You’re right… you are crazy,” Goro just stared as his best friend just admitted that he making enough curry to feed an entire school and just shook his head in disbelief, “I don’t know why I’m surprised…”

“I don’t know either,” Akira agreed as he finished his food and began to drain the terrible coffee (comparatively to Leblanc, it wasn’t Goro’s fault that Akira never bothered to by a drip coffee-maker).

Goro gave him a blank stare as he finished his plate and picked up both of theirs, standing up and moving over to the sink to begin cleaning them. “You’re meant to deny that, not agree…” he rolled his eyes before sending a shooing motion to Akira.

“Go, I’ll take care of cleaning up. You still need to take a train to Inokashira don’t you?” he reminded, the normally immaculate sleeves of his brown pea-coat rolled up to his elbows and the black-gloves Akira had given him so long ago carefully tucked away from any stary soap suds.

Akira shrugged. “I’m meeting up with Sumire at Shibuya Station,” he said as he pulled out his phone before messaging said girl.

Goro just shook his head before sending another violent inclination of his head towards the door. “Get going then, you shouldn’t keep her waiting,” he basically ordered.

“Yes, mother.”

A small tug pulled Goro’s lips upwards. “None of that cheek,” he faux-scolded earning him a laugh. “Now get going, would you? You’ll be late.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the black-haired Shujin student shook his head, but the fond smirk on his face betrayed his indifferent words. “Take care, Goro!” he said with a backwards wave as he opened the front door.

“Don’t get hit by a truck or fall off a tree!”

The door shut closed.

* * *

Akira frowned as he looked around the platform of Shibuya station, no sign of Sumire’s red locks anywhere in sight. “Where is she?” he muttered as he pulled out his phone, sending her a message.

A few minutes and still no response. Rather than simply waiting, he eventually decided to take a look around the station. If she ended up texting him he could simply meet her back here.

It was as he ascended the escalators of Shibuya that he came across her.

Being accosted by a sleazy middle-aged man.

Even from this distance, he could see her hand wringing the strap of her bag in discomfort.

“I’m sorry… but I’m in a bit of a hurry right now…” he could hear her say unsurely, Akira slowly walking up to her, his hackles rising.

“You go to Shujin right?” the slimy man oozed fake sincerity. “I heard things have been rough there lately, what with that violent incident. You wanna talk about it somewhere?”

“No… I’m fine thank you. I’m sorry, but I really need to get going. I have to get to going now…” Sumire declined politely with a bow before trying to move away. As she made to walk off the man’s hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist.

Ah… so he’s chosen death.

“C’mon, there’s no need to be shy,” he leered at Sumire as Akira made his approach. In the peripherals of his vision, he noticed people pointedly look away or outright leaving the scene.

“P-Please let go…” Sumire stuttered.

“If you’re busy, I’ll put my number in your phone so you can call me later. Sound like a plan?” he offered sleazily.

“P-Please, stop it…” she pleaded once more.

He’d had enough as he finished making his way to the two of them. Akira’s hand shot out, seizing the middle-aged man’s wrist roughly and abruptly enough to cause him to loosen his grasp on Sumire’s wrist enough for her to pull herself free.

“H-Huh? Wh-Who the hell are you?” the man let out in surprise as he noticed Akira gripping his arm before gasping in pain as Akira squeezed, his ulna and radial bones rubbing uncomfortably together in his arm.

Akira allowed a pleasant smile to cross his face, but even he could tell it wasn’t meeting his eyes. He could feel as Sumire moved behind his back, clutching his blazer as she took safe refuge behind him.

Akira leaned in close enough to see the beads of sweat forming on the man’s brow, his own hand still clamped harshly around the man’s wrist. “I’m a student at Shujin as well,” Akira smiled saccharinely, “I’m _more_ than happy to talk if you’d like.”

The man’s face turned ugly as he scowled, trying vainly to free himself from Akira’s firm grasp. “Dammit, no need to get worked up! Just being friendly!” he near shouted, attention gathering from everyone around them.

Akira’s smile became dangerous. “The last person that was being ‘friendly’ to a girl from Shujin, raped her,” he said harshly, “We’ve had enough with paedophiles like you.”

With his piece said, he pushed the man away before turning around to check on Sumire.

“Tch, bloody brat!” the man yelled from behind him, the sound of him shuffling closer obvious while people around them gasped.

Akira dodged the heavy uncoordinated swing that the man threw, making sure that it wouldn’t hit Sumire as he grabbed the man’s arm before pulling him in. Akira reeled his head back before slamming it forward, his forehead slamming forcefully against the man’s mouth.

The man stumbled and swayed for a bit before crashing to the ground clutching at his mouth. “I-I’ll sue, you damn brat!” he sputtered with blood dripping from his burst lip, the red staining his hands. Akira had a violent flashback of Shido and Futaba’s Uncle saying those exact words in cases of self-defence when they’d injured themselves by attacking him. This man had attacked him, but this time Akira actually struck back.

He found himself hardly caring about the threats coming from a nobody.

“Go for it,” Akira dared as took a step forward, the man scrambling the same distance back. “You tried to assault me in broad daylight in the middle of public in an area full of CCTV cameras,” Akira said as he stared the man on the floor down. “It’ll be more than obvious that it’s a case of self-defence…” Akira said.

A sweet smile abruptly bloomed on Akira’s face. “I’m sure the police down at the Shibuya Precinct would _love_ to see the footage of how you tried to sexually harass a student from the same school their daughters go to,” he drawled pleasantly.

The man was quick to scramble down the stairs, blood dripping lightly from his mouth and staining the brown sweater he was wearing.

“….”

Akira felt Sumire clutch at the back of his blazer once more prompting him to turn around, only to have her face buried in his chest.

“I didn’t do anything again…” she whispered disparagingly, Akira running a comforting hand on Sumire’s head, her leaning into it. “I’m sorry you had to help me again…” she whispered morosely, only for the comforting hand running through her head to turn into a light bop causing her to look up at him with slightly watery ruby irises.

“No self-deprecation,” one of Akira’s fingers bopped her on the nose, Sumire’s face scrunching cutely at his action. “Besides… remember how last time something like this happened I almost punched Mr Kamoshida if he ended up doing anything to you? I was just fulfilling what I said when I saw him touch you.”

“But you still had to step in and help me when I got in trouble…” she whispered.

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he lifted her chin gently so she looked at him. “It’s okay to get help, remember? Just think of this as finding another piece of who Sumire is, someone who needs help every now and then to get back on her feet,” he smiled lightly as her eyes widened before softening in understanding.

“Thank you, senpai,” she smiled back. Her face abruptly flushed red as she realised the position the two were in, much less in public. She was clutching at his front; her face previously having been buried in his chest but was now tilted up by his hand as she stared at him.

She leapt back face ablaze in embarrassment. “A-Ahaha...!” Sumire laughed almost hysterically with a red face as she began to fidget to which Akira just gave a warm wry smile.

“Come on,” Akira offered his hand, “We need to get going to the clean-up.”

“A-Actually…” Sumire stammered hesitantly, not taking his hand. “I’ve… forgotten my gym clothes at school…” she admitted shyly, grasping the strap of her bag.

Akira shook his head. “Well… I guess it wouldn’t hurt to pass by Shujin first,” he said simply, Sumire looking at him stunned.

“B-But Senpai! What about the clean-up? Don’t you need to help set up?” she tittered worriedly.

Akira shrugged. “I’m on the cooking crew remember? Makoto’s the one starting everything up, I can afford to arrive late. Besides, the cooking crew’s being directed by me and we don’t start till around nine,” he said waving away her worries.

“Besides, I don’t want you being accosted by another sleazy guy like that while you get your clothes,” Akira added, Sumire inwardly heartened by his response and allowing a shy smile to end up on her face.

She laced her own hand in the hand that he’d previously offered. “If you don’t mind then?” she asked hopefully.

If Akira found the sudden action surprising, he didn’t say anything.

“Of course not.”

* * *

Rem groaned awake as her mattress sunk, Morgana pacing around her pillow impatiently waiting for her to wake up. “Come on…” he urged, “…you have the clean-up event to get to today, remember?”

Oh, she remembered, but it didn’t mean she had to like it. She grabbed Morgana with one hand underneath his belly as she sat up before placing him down on the floor. “I still have time, right?” she murmured blearily as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

“Mhmm… you have an hour and a half to get there,” Morgana nodded. “You might want to start getting ready, I saw Boss getting some breakfast ready for you,” he added before turning around and trotting off.

“And remember to wear your gym clothes!” he reminded before disappearing into the café below leaving her to moan sleepily.

Within the half-hour, she was showered, dressed, fed and on her way to Inokashira Park. It didn’t take too long before she was there, Ryuji and Ann waiting patiently by one of the trees.

“Yo, Rem!” Ryuji called with a grin, a hand raised as he waved her over the moment he noticed her.

“Do you have to shout? It’s not even past nine yet,” Ann groused at her dyed-blonde friend before turning around. “Morning, Rem. How are- Wow… please tell me you didn’t walk all the way here in your gym clothes,” Ann said as she noticed that Rem was already wearing her gym clothes.

“Unfortunately…” Rem grimaced, knowing full well that Shujin Academy’s gym clothes weren’t exactly the most tasteful looking of clothes. She noticed though that Ann was still in her regular uniform.

Ryuji noticed as well. “So, are you gonna get changed or what?” he asked curiously, “There’s still like twenty minutes before we gotta start.”

“I was…” Ann said before looking over at the women’s bathrooms, a long line of Shujin students trailing from the doorway, “I was going to go change in the bathroom, but now there’s a huge line.”

“That makes sense… but… if you don’t line up now, ain’t ya gonna have a problem later when the clean-up begins?” Ryuji couldn’t help but ask.

Ann was saved from having to answer as another student approached the trio. “It’s such a nice day out that even the weather seems to be mocking us,” Mishima greeted, thoroughly weirding the three with how abruptly he’d inserted himself into their conversation.

“Dude, could you try pushin’ your way into our conversation a little less awkwardly next time?” Ryuji pleaded to the short blue-haired teen as he slumped in exasperation.

It didn’t seem Mishima really cared because he just continued on with his tangent. “I bet some Kichijoji clean-freak hung paper dolls all over and prayed for clear skies today,” Mishima continued, weirding Rem out even more.

Rem was saved from any further weird Mishima-topics of discussion by another pair of approaching footsteps off to the side. “Hey,” Doctor Maruki greeted as he walked over, “Morning, everyone.”

He was a little taken aback by Ryuji splaying a hand over to him. “See? That’s how you should join the conversation next time,” Ryuji gave Mishima the prime example, Maruki gaining a confused smile on his face.

“Morning,” Rem greeted the school counsellor, hoping for at least just a minor semblance of normalcy as reprieve from the last minute.

“Are you here for the clean-up as well, Doctor Maruki?” Ann asked as she looked the man up and down.

Maruki nodded. “You got it,” he confirmed.

“In those clothes?” Ryuji asked, unable to not notice how he was wearing his usual clothes, the same you’d find him wearing if you went to him for counselling.

Maruki shook his head. “Oh, no. I’m actually doing something else-”

“Doctor Maruki,” a deep voice called out, it’s timbre one that Rem associated with only one student at Shujin.

“Ah, Kurusu-kun,” Maruki greeted Akira as he approached, the grey-eyed teen in his normal clothes sans the blazer and his sleeved folded to his elbows revealing surprisingly toned forearms.

Akira noticed the others. “Ah, good morning,” he greeted with a smile, everyone returning a greeting in return before he looked over to Maruki. “I’m getting the Home Economics club to start prepping the ingredients, rice, and pickled radish. You and I will be taking care of the main meal,” he informed, a small expression of surprise appearing on Maruki’s face.

“Ah, so you’re the one Nijiima-san was saying I’d be working with today,” Maruki smiled. “I hope I can prove myself useful to you, Kurusu-kun.”

Mishima cocked his head. “I thought that the student council would be taking care of the meal today?” he asked, looking at Akira and Doctor Maruki in confusion.

Rem watched as Akira’s shoulder rose and fell in a helpless manner. “There isn’t enough of us to take care of a meal for under four-hundred students so I ended up enlisting the help of the home economics club while Doctor Maruki volunteered to assist,” he explained, before pulling out his phone and looking at the time.

“Which, we actually need to start getting the food ready,” Akira announced before looking at Maruki. “If you’d like to come and join everyone else, Doc?” he said while waving an arm over to a group of students by a burner.

“Lead the way,” Maruki inclined but not before looking at the four. “I hope you’re looking forward to a solid meal,” he smiled before rushing over to Akira.

The four watched them walk away before Ryuji addressed the elephant in the park. “So… uh… anyone else catch him say ‘there isn’t enough of us’?” Ryuji asked as he looked at Akira.

“Does… that mean Kurusu-kun is on the Student Council? When did that happen?” Ann murmured, looking at the black-haired teen with furrowed brows.

Rem didn’t really care so long as there was good food by the end of the day.

**_Good morning, Shujin Academy students and staff…_ **

The words rolled over everyone in Inokashira Park, the electric voice coming from a girl with brown hair in a bob-cut wearing the Shujin gym clothes but with shorts and hold a microphone in hand. Rem looked over in interest as she soon began dishing out instructions to everyone via microphone.

**_Please pick up all trash located in the areas assigned to your group. Once the clean-up is completed a lunch of karaage curry with white rice will be provided and served with thanks to the Student Council Vice-President, Doctor Maruki, and the Home Economics club._ **

Student Council Vice-President?

“Student Council Vice-President? She talkin’ about Kurusu?” Ryuji asked in surprise. “The hell? He’s only been here for like a month, hasn’t he?”

“Well, he did come first in the last exams with a straight one-hundred,” Ann put forth a guess. “Then add his transfer exam score and… with what he’s done,” Ann paused for a moment, no doubt remembered what he’d done for Shiho. “It does make some sense for him to get the position,” Ann said.

“But still…” Ryuji muttered shaking his head. “It’ll be a pain if the Student President gets him to look into us,” he murmured just low enough so only Rem, Ann, and Morgana could hear him.

Rem paused. She hadn’t thought about that.

**_“Well… you’ve always had a good head on your shoulders. If you haven’t kicked her out yet, I figured I’d make my own decisions rather than listening to what others say.”_ **

“I think we should be fine…” Rem said slowly as she thought it over, “…but just keep an eye out just in case.”

Ryuji and Ann nodded.

“But man, since when has this place had the money to make curry?” Ryuji shifted the conversation abruptly so as to not attract Mishima’s attention. “I can’t see it turnin’ out too good, though. Ain’t it hard to make in large batches or something’?” he couldn’t help but wonder.

Ann, however, seemed to be of the opposite opinion. “Who knows? Maybe it’ll turn out great! Ooh, karaage chicken and rice…” she disagreed, a small trickle of drool dribbling from the corner of her lips before she wiped the evidence clean.

“If it’s as anything as good as what he usually eats at Leblanc, we might be getting a really good meal,” Morgana muttered inside her bag, Rem nodding along. Just the thought of having another round of curry was making her excited.

“Oh, FYI, the school already assigned the groups at random. They’re four people apiece, boys and girls mixed,” Mishima said as he turned around to look at them.

“Oh… really?” Ryuji slumped while Rem internally did the same.

**_Now that those announcements have been made, please break into your groups and head to your assigned areas._ **

Rem sighed while Ryuji rolled his shoulder in an exaggerated motion, rotating his shoulder cuff to warm up. “Alright, let’s get this over with as fast as possible so we can chow down on that curry and get the heck outta here!” he exclaimed boisterously.

Rem nodded, feeling slightly downcast as she was separated from Ryuji and Ann. Hopefully, the curry Akira made would end up making up for it. If it was anything half as good as Sojiro’s she would be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, please let me know of any mistakes you come across and I'll go back and fix them ASAP provided I'm not asleep (usually highly likely I'm awake)


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MWEHEHE 
> 
> Rig the Game: Royal is now first for bookmarks and Kudos in the Yoshizawa Kasumi Archive. 
> 
> *Tear falls*
> 
> They grow up so fast.
> 
> Edit: Took a break for a bit and didn’t realise that people were going through like a withdrawal cause AO3 doesn’t send email notification anymore for now. So here I am at 3:30 with a cup of coffee and discord open writing this chapter. The comments amused me greatly tho.
> 
> Second Edit: Originally gonna be one chapter but it was getting a bit long

Akira rolled up the sleeves of his blazer as he stood at the centre of the cooking crew, the surprisingly all-girl Home Economics clubs looking at him expectantly while Doctor Maruki stood beside him. He resisted the extreme urge to just pinch his brow and let out a heavy sigh as the myriad of first, second, and third-year females looked at him for instructions even though there was a perfectly qualified teacher standing patiently beside him.

Then again, Akira did suppose that Makoto gave him full control over the cooking crew.

What a pain.

Letting out another internal sigh, Akira looked up and got to work. “Alright,” Akira said as he clapped his hands together loudly, making extra sure he’d gotten everyone’s attention before he continued.

“We have around two and a half hours to cook for exactly three hundred and seventy-eight tired, hungry and possibly grumpy students,” Akira announced, some of the girls giggling for some reason or the other. “I’ll be splitting a large majority of you to take care of the white rice since we’ll be cooking a lot of it, a small minority of you to take care of the pickled radish and steamed vegetables, while myself and Doctor Maruki take care of the curry.”

There were several disappointed aww’s and pouts from the female side of the cooking crew at his announcement. One girl, however, raised a hand hesitantly.

“Uh… yes?” Akira asked, pointing at the shy first-year girl who quickly flushed under the attention she was receiving.

“U-Um… I… I just thought that m-maybe leaving the curry to you and Doctor Maruki might be a bit much?” she stammered as the cooking crew looked at her. “D-Don’t you have to bread and fry the chicken as well?” she asked hesitantly.

Akira blinked.

“I… completely forgot about that,” Akira admitted. Actually, cooking thirty pounds worth of karaage would take up a large amount of time, and they did have to be done first before the raw chicken began to spoil as the day went on.

“You raise a good point,” Maruki complimented as he interjected, turning towards Akira. “Maybe we can have two volunteers assist us with cooking the karaage? It would certainly ease the workload,” he offered with a kind smile.

Akira thought about it for a moment before ultimately accepting. It wasn’t like taking two away from cooking the rice would slow them down since there were a limited number of pots for them to cook with. “Okay… would anyone like to volunteer to help us?” Akira relented as he asked around curiously.

Each member of the home economics club rose a hand causing Akira to actually be forced to choose two of them.

“Uh… you and you,” Akira pointed at the first-year who’d first asked the question and put forth the idea before just throwing his hand out in a random direction in the vicinity of the gaggle of girls, his finger pointing at one of the girls at random before landing on a second-year that seemed to be fawning over Maruki as she stepped forward.

Not something he needed to think about. Nope… nope…

Dammit, he thought about it.

“Alright,” Akira shook his head free of those weird thoughts. “Okay, please split up into pairs, four pairs taking care of the rice, while two pairs take care of the pickled radish and steamed vegetables,” Akira ordered the remaining members of the Home Economics club, the club members slow to form pairs but quick to get to work.

“Kurusu-san, h-how would you like us to be split up?” the first year asked hesitantly as she and Maruki’s fawning fangirl moved over to them.

Akira frowned minutely, largely unused to directing groups like these outside ft the Phantom Thieves. He supposed he’d need to get used to situations like this with his new position though. “I’m not sure to be honest-”

“If I may, perhaps it would be best if Kurusu-kun and I work together?” Maruki interjected politely, three gazes looking at him questioningly to which his response was a kindly smile. “Kurusu-kun is still recovering from his injuries after all. You’re still not meant to be overexerting yourself, correct?” he looked at Akira who gave a slow nod.

“If you’re not averse to it, I wouldn’t mind assisting you,” the brown-haired counsellor offered with his trademark smile.

“If that’s okay with the two of you?” Akira looked over at the two girls from the home economics club with a raised brow. The fawning second-year seemed like she wished to say something but was prevented by the shy first-year slapping a hand over her mouth and nodding vigorously.

“O-Of course!” the first-year agreed, the second-year giving out muffled noises of discontentment.

Akira noticed Maruki let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. Keeping that note away into the depths of his mind for the time being, Akira began to give the girls their instructions.

“If you two could begin to prepare the karaage that would be greatly appreciated,” Akira said as he pulled out a hand-written piece of paper outlining how to prepare and cook the karaage before handing it over to the first-year who took it gratefully. With her hand free of the second-year’s mouth, the fawning second-year now had a sullen expression on her face.

Akira began to riffle through the absurd number of cool bags that was scattered around them and began to withdraw the necessary ingredients before placing them onto a tray alongside some oil and some of the home economic club’s woks. “Here, this should be everything,” he said as the metal tray bent slightly from the sheer weight of the chicken that needed to be cooked. Noticing the issue, he quickly placed it next to their cooking station rather than handing it over to them.

“Thank you, senpai,” the first-year nodded gratefully before bowing, the second year standing behind her still sullen before the first-year grabbed the second year and began to drag her over to their own cooking station to begin preparing and frying the chicken.

Akira couldn’t help but feel disconcerted by how strange it was to hear someone other than Sumire call him ‘senpai’. It was rather strange to actually be respected by other students rather than having an openly disdainful expression sent his way before they scurried away in fear.

“Are you okay Kurusu-kun?” Maruki asked in concern as he noticed the student council vice-president simply standing there lost in thought. If Akira was startled by the hand landing on his shoulder, he didn’t say anything.

Instead, he just shook his head to wave away the counsellor’s worries. “I’m fine, just lost in thought. We should begin and prepare the curry roux,” Akira said succinctly, Maruki nodding in acceptance as the two began to move around like well-oiled machines. With only the slightest amount of information, Maruki was already picking out the different pieces of equipment that would be needed.

While Maruki began to prep and heat the various pots and pans that would be needed, Akira began to grab the ingredients, the most notable being red wine, sliced chicken thighs, star anise, a banana, and chunou sauce alongside several different types of condiments and heavy vegetables.

To begin, Akira retrieved a large bowl and filled it with almost four litres of water before adding salt and baking soda, mixing it and setting it off to the side.

It was around this time that Maruki had finished preparing the equipment and noticed Akira already beginning to make the curry as the teen poured some vegetable oil into the largest pot available along with very thinly sliced strips of chicken breast before lightly frying them.

“Oh? You’re adding chicken and vegetables into the curry roux?” Maruki asked with interest as he noticed the small medley of carrots and potatoes off to the side. The look of interest became a look of concern as he took notice of the bottle of certainly expensive red wine that he was absolutely sure hadn’t been supplied by the academy.

Akira nodded in concentration, not deigning to answer but rather a hand grabbing grated ginger and garlic to sauté the chicken. A majority of the ingredients already having been sliced, diced, and grated by the home economics club with the exception of the potatoes since they tended to oxidise if left unused.

Once the bottom of the pan had been sautéed and adding a proportional amount of onions, Akira grabbed the bowl of water before pouring it into the pot before closing the lid and allowing it to boil. Now the waiting game began.

“Did you bring this Kurusu-kun?” Maruki asked in wonderment, the adult in him popping the resealable cork off it before taking a whiff of the wine. He almost recoiled from the full-body scent emanating from it.

“I did,” Akira confirmed as he plucked the bottle from the now sheepish counsellor who’d realised he’d essentially opened it without permission. “Wine adds acidity, richness, and depth to the curry while also tenderising the meat,” Akira instantly recalled only to wince lightly at how easily it was for him to say it.

COLD

Kohryu warbled in his mind, but Akira ignored the centre of Si Xiang.

“The wine will help in tenderising the chicken later enough that it’ll all but dissolve into the roux,” Akira continued on as he watched steam rattle the lid slightly from the building pressure, a hand reaching out slightly to adjust it and allow the pressure to escape before it exploded.

“I hadn’t expected you to be so knowledgeable about cooking,” Maruki said appraisingly as he looked over the array of ingredients he hadn’t realised would be necessary to create a simple curry roux. “If I might ask, why exactly did you choose to prepare curry?” the counsellor asked the black-haired teen, an expression of curiosity on his face.

“Wouldn’t it have been simpler to make something such as miso soup? Perhaps with vegetables and pork?” Maruki offered.

Akira just stared at the pot, taking the time for quiet introspection. He knew of course… it was a purely selfish reason.

“Just a moment of weakness, I suppose,” Akira eventually said before pulling the lid off the pot, the bottom now a caramelised sauce with small strips of chicken spread out in between.

Maruki didn’t become a counsellor just so he could miss the body cues his patients showed when they were having problems. He noticed almost immediately after he’d asked his question how Akira’s chest hitched slightly along with the forlorn gaze he sent the pot before answering.

It obviously meant something.

“I don’t suppose you’d mind if I watch you cook, I’ve never actually made curry before,” Maruki said with an almost curious interest but also an underlying motive. It was generally a safe bet to ease patients by talking or partaking in something they enjoyed or were passionate about.

Akira paused for a second in his stirring of the caramelised mixture covering at least a quarter of the pot. “Would you mind passing the grated carrots?” he eventually asked, Maruki accepting as the teen’s shoulders seemed to ease. The frizzy-haired second-year accepted the carrots, Maruki looking over his shoulder into the large pot with interest.

“Do you cook yourself Doc?” Akira asked as he added some curry powder, not the curry blocks with additives but natural curry powder.

“I do, I live by myself after all and it does get sickening eating takeaway all the time, not to mention expensive,” Maruki nodded, a hum of agreement leaving Akira’s mouth as he grabbed a potato masher before adding vegetable stock and the sole green banana into the mixture before mashing it into a puree.

“…Banana?” Maruki couldn’t help but utter in confusion, unaware that said fruit could be added into the curry.

“When the red wine is added, it’ll cause the roux to become too acidic and rich,” Akira explained as he continued to mash the roux, forearms tensing and flexing with each upwards and downward motion. “The alkalinity of the banana will balance it out so it doesn’t upset the stomach,” he said, Maruki nodding along understandingly.

“You seem to know your way around with cooking, Kurusu-kun,” Maruki noted as another hitch stopped Akira for a millisecond, not too noticeable but to the counsellor, it was telling.

“I had a good mentor,” Akira uttered as he stirred the thick gloopy mixture. He directed Maruki to hand him a variety of ingredients: sliced potatoes, soy sauce, chunou sauce, tomato paste, bay leaf, star anise, and cocoa powder, all of which was added into the pot.

Maruki was taken aback by the rich scent that was now emanating from the pot, almost slightly abashed at the smirk Akira sent him as his stomach rumbled.

“I’m also the one that cooks at home so it’s only natural that I’d know may around a kitchen and cooking,” the teen spoke as the ingredients slowly began to mix into the curry roux.

The smell was quickly beginning to attract the attention of the home economics students who’d, at this point, mostly finished their own tasks with the exception of cooking up copious amounts of white rice. It wasn’t only the home economics students whose interest had been piqued but also other students who’ve been assigned areas nearby.

Maruki’s stomach rumbled hungrily even though he’d eaten just about an hour prior, and knowing full well that it’d be a long day he’d had a hefty breakfast. He took a look at his watch.

10:11 AM

They still had another hour and nineteen minutes before they’d be allowed to serve, and with that state his stomach was growling just from the scent of the unfinished curry, he knew that this was going to be a long wait.

Akira let a small smile grace his lips as he noticed the various students and teachers around them stare longingly at the pot, much less the counsellor standing beside him. Grabbing the red wine, he poured it into the pot until only a sixth of the bottle remained before he lowered the heat, giving the curry one last stir before allowing it to simmer.

The red wine would seep into every nook and cranny of the curry, softening the meat and potatoes until they dissolved leaving a delicious roux remaining. The alcohol would be burnt out while the depth of flavour and full-bodied richness would remain, the acidity of the wine balanced out by the potatoes and banana.

And now, it was time to wait once more. Akira grabbed two folding chairs off to the side before placing them down for both himself and Maruki, tucking the red wine into his bag as he did so.

It wasn’t like he could just drink it out in public.

“You said you’re the one that cooks at home, Kurusu-kun?” Maruki asked as he sat down, figuring he’d might've as well taken the time to get to know the student council vice-president outside of Akira just being a patient. “What about your parents? Do they not cook?” Maruki asked but immediately regretted as a flash of hurt shot across Akira’s face for just a moment.

Maruki remembered what the teen had said in the nurse’s office on the first day of his tenure at Shujin.

**_“I don’t want to say how, but… three years ago everyone I knew, everyone I cared about, everyone I loved… died,” Akira exhaled slowly, the weight of an entire dead world pushing him down. “I watched as they died… one by one. They disappeared from my life in a matter of moments until I was left with nothing… until I was left alone…”_ **

Everyone… that must mean his parents as well.

“I’m an orphan actually…” Akira said, “A friend of mine lives with me though. He can’t cook to save his life, so I’m the one that cooks for the two of us.”

Maruki stayed silent, stewing in his thoughts. He recalled the Akira had admitted to there being another person in his life that he cared for aside from Yoshizawa, a second anchor. Taking a deep breath, Maruki decided to bite the bullet and ask.

“Your friend… is this the one you mentioned before?” Maruki asked tentatively, internally feeling out of his depth as he conducted an informal counselling session for the first time, much less in such a public setting.

Akira nodded, and thankfully Maruki could easily tell that he was more than at ease now. “Mhmm… Goro’s been living with me for I think coming to three years now?” Akira said in thought. “He tried cooking once but ended up causing an oil fire… he almost burned the house down by trying to put it out with water,” Akira chuckled reminiscently.

Maruki winced, more than familiar with pouring water on an oil fire. It was a miracle his landlord hadn’t evicted him for destroying his kitchen. A small creasing of Maruki’s brow belied his confusion, however, as he tried to think of anyone he’d might have even heard of with the last name of Goro.

None were coming to mind but he supposed that didn’t really matter at the moment.

“You sound like you care about him a lot,” Maruki mused glad that even with his more than personal questioning the frizzy-haired teen sitting beside him was actually more at ease compared to earlier when he was initially instructing the cooking crew.

Akira nodded with a small smile. “I do, he’s like a brother to me,” he said with a fond smile, “He can be overprotective at times in the strangest of ways… and sometimes an ass but yeah, I care about him.”

So, this Goro was Akira’s second anchor… interesting. A gentle grin wormed its way onto Maruki’s face. Even though he knew he was talking to only a single facet of Akira, at least he now knew that the teen had people that he cared for and were supporting him.

However, Akira wasn’t about to allow himself to be the only one questioned. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how you were trying to get away from the second-year,” Akira smirked casting a faux judging look at Maruki, referring to the second-year who’d been fawning over him.

Maruki gave a wince along with a slightly sheepish laugh at that little reminder. It seemed he hadn’t been as subtle as he thought, or Akira was more perceptive than he thought.

“It’s… certainly disconcerting to know that some of the female students have been pining after me,” Maruki admitted, “When I saw the opportunity to work with you as quite plainly the only male on the cooking crew, I decided to go for it.”

“And here I thought you decided to pair-up with me purely out of concern,” Akira gave the counsellor a dull look but they could both tell he was being humorous. Both Akira and Maruki burst out into muted chuckles.

The two continued to chat about inane things, passing the time as Akira would sometimes get up and stir the roux.

By the time the curry roux was finished, the chicken karaage, white rice, pickled radish along with sides of steamed vegetables were ready to serve. Just in time as Akira could hear Makoto’s voice resounding throughout the park from her megaphone.

**_The cleanup is officially complete. Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Would the leader of each group please come and get the curry for their teams?_ **

Akira groaned slightly, he hadn’t actually thought about how tedious it was going to be to actually serve out three-hundred and seventy-eight servings of curry. Maruki laughed beside him, as he picked up another ladle before moving to Akira’s side.

“Here, I’ll help out,” he said as they both stood behind the large pot full of curry sauce, platters of fried karaage beside them and large mounds of white rice ready to be served by the home economics club in one line with the rice at the start and the curry at the end. “You did do most of the cooking so it’s only fair that I help with serving, right?”

Akira nodded thankfully while Maruki just gave his usual trademark kind smile.

**Councillor Arcana – Rank 2!**

* * *

“Hey, that girl – yeah, her,” her group leader whispered in a hushed manner to the rest of her group while she continued picking up rubbish. Is she… THAT transfer student?”

“Yeah…”

“You mean the one in all the crazy rumours?”

“Keep it down! What if she hears us?” the third-year group leader tried to whisper so she wouldn’t hear, not that it matters since they were only five paces behind her and well within hearing distance.

Rem felt her brow twitch as they just continued to mutter to themselves. It was well within two crappy hours that Rem felt relief in the form of a loud announcement from the Student Council President.

**_The cleanup is officially complete. Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Would the leader of each group please come and get the curry for their teams?_ **

Rem had to admit that she was feeling more than hungry at the moment, and the tantalising scent of curry wafting throughout Inokashira park wasn’t helping the matter. She turned towards her group leader only for him to be staring at her the moment she looked at him.

What irritated Rem about him was the deer-in-the-headlights looks along with the expression of panic that flashed across his face before he quickly turned her back towards her to address the other two membered of the group.

“So, after the curry’s doled out, everyone’s free to do whatever they want,” her group leader said, not even bothering to look at her. “Including getting the hell outta here.”

“Oh… okay?”

“Thank you for everything.”

The second and first-year of Rem’s group thanked their third-year leader before the three quickly ran off, leaving her behind. Rem didn’t bother to stop the light glower that appeared to her face as she sat down on the bench next to where she’d left her bag.

“Wow… they just left you, huh?” Morgana noted as he poked his head out of Rem’s bag, Rem only letting out a small huff of irritation as she reclined into the park bench. “What a useless leader… he just left you out to hang without even bothering to talk to you,” Morgana groused as he stared after the third-year leader’s retreating back as it was still in sight.

“Oh…?”

Rem looked up, her glower vanishing and replacing itself with one of bewilderment as her crimson-red irises met ruby-red behind a pair of black spectacles. She felt Morgana shuffle his way back into her bag in the presence of another student.

“Aren’t… Aren’t you the girl that knows Akira-senpai?” the silky red-haired girl wearing black spectacles asked Rem with the slightest amount of hesitance as she approached. Rem recognised her as the girl that had been waiting for Akira outside the nurse’s office and the one that had accompanied him to the hospital following the incident with Shiho.

For the sake of respect, Rem actually bothered this time to recall her name.

 **_“Sumire?” Akira asked as he looked down at the blushing red-head, her blush quickly dying down in front of her friend but not fading all the way. “Were you waiting for me?”_ ** ****

No… Sumire was likely her first name.

She tried to recall a moment before that… she could have sworn she’d heard her last name at least. If she remembered correctly, Doctor Maruki had called her…

**_“Yoshizawa-san! I wasn’t aware you were acquainted with Kurusu-san…”_ **

“You’re Akira’s friend… Yoshizawa-san, correct?” Rem asked curiously, a slight look of surprise flashing across the girl’s face as she nodded.

“Y-Yes, I’m Sumire Yoshizawa,” Yoshizawa stuttered before introducing herself. The red-haired girl took a look around noticing that Rem’s group wasn’t with her, Rem noticing that Yoshizawa’s group didn’t seem to be anywhere nearby either.

“Rem Amamiya,” Rem introduced with a nod as she sat reclined on the bench tiredly.

“Um… If I may… where did the other people in your group go?” Yoshizawa murmured shyly. Rem couldn’t help but wondered if she was always this shy and demure.

But, she as least gave the girl a response before she got too lost in thought. “They ditched me,” Rem replied succinctly, the light glower reappearing for just a moment before vanishing as she remembered she was still talking to someone.

“Ah… I see…” Yoshizawa murmured discontentedly, her hands clasped in front of her in discomfort, “…I’m in pretty much the same situation.”

Rem rose a brow in disbelief at her admittance. “You? My group left me because of my background… why did they leave you?” Rem had to ask.

Yoshizawa gave a small but dim smile. “Most students don’t exactly feel comfortable around me because of my… status as an honour student,” she admitted.

Rem couldn’t help but give a light derisive chuckle at the absurdity of her words. “Guess they don’t like anyone too good or too bad,” she laughed lightly, her words bringing a small but this time kind smile to Yoshizawa’s face.

“You can’t be that bad,” Yoshizawa declined with the shake of her head, surprising Rem. “If you’re friends with Akira-senpai, I can’t believe the rumours about you being a bad person.”

Rem felt like she was brought back to that one moment almost a month ago.

**_Rem and Sojiro watched as Akira shrugged. “Well… you’ve always had a good head on your shoulders. If you haven’t kicked her out yet, I figured I’d make my own decisions rather than listening to what others say.”_ **

“…Heh,” Rem chuckled as she stood up shaking her head before looking at Yoshizawa. “You’re just like Akira, you know?” she asked rhetorically as she stood up stretching, a hand grabbing her bag with Morgana inside.

“H-Huh?!” the red-haired girl squeaked out in surprise, a rosy tint to her face at the suddenness of Rem’s words.

“Come on, your group ditched you yeah? Why don’t we grab some lunch from our mutual friend?” Rem offered, her head inclined in the direction of the delicious smelling curry.

Her answer was the sound of a stomach rumbling.

Well… two stomachs rumbling, her own and Yoshizawa’s. Yoshizawa let out a small happy smile as she hopped slightly so they were side-by-side.

“Thank you…” she whispered as they walked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Rem lifted her shoulders and let them fall in a dismissive manner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Ya'll thought you were safe! You'll never be safe Monk!
> 
> Fic recommendation of fellow authors works.
> 
> MonkKind - The Future of Royal:  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13552255/1/The-Future-of-Royal  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762923/chapters/57076690
> 
> VitaminLuce - Wistful Dreams:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24296992/chapters/58568461
> 
> VitaminLuce - A Birthday Well Spent:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762923/chapters/57076690
> 
> D1g1taldude - Fool's Protection  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13591616/1/Fool-s-protection
> 
> This one cause actually really good despite it being Yuri-on-ice x P5R and me having no idea what it is.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013726/chapters/57772423#workskin


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the third part of Inokashira Park, originally going to be part of the last chapter but it was getting too long got my liking in one chapter.

“Oh…?” the frizzy-haired student council vice-president let out as he noticed the approach of the delinquent transfer student and his red-haired kohai. And he wasn’t the only one that noticed them.

Other students that were waiting in line moved out of the way, the sea of students parting as Rem simply strolled up to the cooking station that was serving lunch with Sumire looking around nervously and apologetically as she trotted behind her.

Well… that’s certainly a useful way to use her status.

“I feel like I should be saying something about the abuse of power or something or the other,” Akira smirked as he started to fill some cheap disposable but environmentally-friendly containers with white rice and karaage.

“Says the vice president of the student council?” Rem remarked with an amused look at him.

“Says the vice president of the student council,” Akira confirmed as he moved onto a second bowl. “I see you’re making finally making more friends, Sumire. Happy to see it,” Akira sent a supportive smile to the girl who basked in his attention. Within the minute, the teen handed the two four bowls of curry, the smell of it making both Rem and Sumire’s stomachs rumble with want.

“Four?” Yoshizawa asked, Rem raising a perplexed brow at his offering. Akira only deigned to give a small smirk in response.

“We both know only one won’t be enough to fill you,” was his response with a wink, Yoshizawa ducking her head in embarrassment at his action and words.

That didn’t explain the four bowls though.

The two didn’t get to respond, however, as Akira shooed them away with a gentle smile, reminding them that they had, in fact, pushed in front of over a hundred students and that he shouldn’t technically be playing favourites as it was.

* * *

Both Rem and Yoshizawa returned back to the park bench they’d met at earlier, placing the four-plastic bowls with curry on the seat as Rem placed her bag down. Rem couldn’t stop the small laugh of amusement that left her lips as she noticed Yoshizawa pouting at the four bowls of curry.

“Senpai knows I don’t eat this much…” Yoshizawa pouted as she only took two of the bowls, leaving the other two for Rem.

Rem just looked at the thin girl in disbelief. Was… she seriously going to eat two of those bowls? One was the size of the mega beef bowls that Ryuji had gotten her the day they first met.

Shaking her head Rem grabbed a bowl but frowned as her hand brushed something underneath, a small green post-it note fluttering to the ground where it had been stuck to the underside of the bowl. Placing the bowl down, she picked up the paper and flipped it over, reading the neat writing scrawled onto its surface.

**_If you’re going to bring your cat, at least make sure he has food if you’re going to leave him in your bag all day._ **

**_P.S. Cats are allowed in Inokashira Park btw_ **

_**P.P.S. Should technically let Makoto-senpai know but... abuse of power ;)** _

**_Akira Kurusu, Student Council Vice President_ **

“When did he even have the time to write this?” Rem couldn’t help but wonder. She almost flinched at the lock of red hair that was trying to peer over her shoulder, Yoshizawa standing on the tip of her feet to look.

“Did Senpai leave something?” Yoshizawa stepped back, curiosity overpowering the shyness that Rem had come to associate with the girl. She eventually just sighed as she handed Yoshizawa the slip of paper before moving over to her bag and opening the zipper.

“Ah, freedom-!” Morgana cheered lightly at finally being allowed free before freezing as he noticed the red-haired student. “Rem, why’d you let me out?!” he hissed in panic at being found out so brazenly.

“Seems you’ve gotten the permission from the Vice-President to roam around,” Rem smirked while Yoshizawa just stared at Morgana stunned. Grabbing Morgana by the underside of his belly she slowly lifted him up before placing him down on the pavement, placing the bowl of curry and rice on the ground in front of him.

“This one’s for you it seems,” Rem smirked as she popped off the lid keeping the contents of it sealed, Morgana’s tiny cat stomach rumbling as his acute senses took in the near-divine scent emanating from the bowl.

“Y-You have a cat, Amamiya-senpai?” Yoshizawa just stared as Morgana drooled over the curry bowl, surprised by the series of meowing that originated from Rem’s bag the moment she opened the zipper and Morgana pouring out.

“Mhmm… were you expecting a knife or something like the rumours?” Rem asked as she picked up the remaining bowl and popping off the lid, the warm curry making her stomach rumble almost incessantly.

“N-No…” Yoshizawa ducked her head with a flush, embarrassed since that had been exactly what she’d been thinking. Quietly she sat down next to Rem, prying open the lid of one of her own bowls, almost digging in immediately from the scent before she remembered that she was in the company of someone else.

Looking over at Rem who only smirked in response, she clapped her hand together, Rem doing the same. “Itadakimasu!” the two intoned together before the two Shujin students and cat dug in.

Rem lifted a plastic spoon hefting a generous portion of white rice, karaage and curry to her lips

The moment the curry hit her taste buds Rem could’ve sworn she saw the answers of the very cosmos itself.

Ghostly arms wrapped themselves around Rem, the warmth of her mother even with their estranged relationship at the moment ensconced her, whispering that everything would _work out_. The fresh spring breeze broke through the many people to invade her nostrils and invigorate her, the sound of anything around her disappearing as if it was only her in the world.

The lively and breath-taking chirping of songbirds in the trees reached her ears, trilling a lovely song from their nest in the branches and brambles above, a strange but exquisite inner peace filling her. It was as if she’d found the meaning of life in a world so full of besmirched beauty, blocking out all distractions. No worries about the concerns of the future or the past, only the beauty of the present.

A tear of happiness pooled in the corner of her eye at the peacefulness, the droplet of saline liquid trailing down her cheek in a single rivulet before dropping from her chin.

The peacefulness was shattered into millions of tiny little fragments as her plastic spoon scraped the bottom of the now-empty bowl.

“…Huh?” Rem let out unintelligibly as she stared at her empty rice bowl, the lingering taste of divine curry still on her tongue and lips as she returned back to reality.

What in the hell had Akira put in the curry?

As she slowly came back to her senses, she noticed every other student eating robotically with different emotions splayed across their face, and a strange peacefulness surrounding the park as everyone ate.

Or at least the students, every other public citizen that was in the park sent strange looks to the dining students who seemed as if they’d achieved a state of Nirvana simply from eating some delicious but now dubious curry. The sound of plastic scrapping against the ground caught Rem’s attention, causing her to look down at Morgana.

She felt a pang of pity for Morgana who was still trying to eat from his empty container. If Rem had felt as if she’d achieved an understanding of the cosmos and life itself, she could only imagine what Morgana was feeling. While Morgana’s sense of taste as a was only a sixth of a human, a cat’s average sense of smell was averaging around 12.5 times as powerful as a human. 

Actually… she now felt slightly envious since he was still trapped in a state of euphoria. She smoothly picked him up and placed him on her lap, Morgana just sitting there blankly as she did so.

“Huh?” an unintelligible voice resounded beside her causing Rem to look over at Yoshizawa who’d somehow managed to demolish both mega-sized bowls. Rem’s own stomach already felt like it was about to burst with its contents now full so she didn’t know how the much more petite girl wasn’t requiring her stomach to be pumped immediately.

Yoshizawa looked at her empty bowls mournfully, Rem feeling a small sense of kinship as she looked down at her own in a similar manner. “Do you think we could go get another?” Rem gave a small hopeful chuckle as Yoshizawa looked at her, the two giggling only to let out a sound of despair as they looked at the cooking station which was now being cleaned up and packed away.

“I suppose not…” Yoshizawa murmured glumly as the two simply reclined into the wooden bench.

It was around ten minutes later that Morgana came back to the world of the living with a small yowl, the small feline looking around indignantly as he was broken from his divine reverie. “Wh-Who took my curry?!” he hissed, tiny little claws unsheathing from his toe-beans and piercing through Rem’s gym jacket.

Thankfully they hadn’t been able to pierce her skin. Nonetheless, Rem had to quieten him down. A dainty finger flicked forward at Morgana’s nose, the feline recoiling as he was brought back to reality on her lap. “You ate all your food already, remember?” Rem hushed Morgana before he could attract too much attention from the other students.

A light giggle caused Morgana to freeze, his head craning to the Yoshizawa slowly as he realised he was in front of another Shujin student. “He’s quite lively isn’t he,” Yoshizawa let out a small laugh before motioning towards Morgana, “May I?”

Rem nodded as Yoshizawa extended a hand slowly to Morgana, small dainty fingers scratching at the sweet spot behind Morgana’s ear causing him to melt on Rem’s lap.

“Ooooooh… that feels so gooooood…” Morgana mewled in content, his stomach full with celestial curry and now his sweet-spots being scratched.

“You’re… not at all like the rumours describe you, Amamiya-san,” Yoshizawa commented as she continued to scratch behind Morgana’s ears. “You’re much more normal compared to what people say about you… then again… you never seemed like the person they described anyway…” she said.

Rem cocked her head at that. “What do you mean?” she questioned curiously.

Yoshizawa only gave her a reminiscent smile. “On the train a month ago… when I tried to give the lady my seat… you stood up for me when that man tried to feign sleep,” she explained quietly, a slightly sad look in her eyes.

“I’d… forgotten about that,” Rem admitted. That’d been well over a month ago, just a few days after she transferred and she’d completely forgotten about the incident.

Yoshizawa seemed to return to the present as she looked at Rem. “Even with the rumours that spread about you when I transferred… I could never reconcile that you were a delinquent…” she explained before giggling as Morgana’s leg twitched. “Some were so outlandish they had to be lies… um… right?” she looked at Rem inclining her head to the side.

Rem just sat there, staring at the red-haired first-year honour student. “What rumours are there about me?” she probed intrigued.

Yoshizawa seemed slightly stumped for a moment as she thought about it, pausing in her scratching. “Um… there was… burglary, murder, and… elephant tusk trafficking?” she listed, her face scrunching in confusion causing Rem to snort derisively at the rumours.

“If I’d been caught for any three of those, I’d be in jail,” Rem shook her head as she realised that perhaps at least ninety percent of the students at Shujin were morons. “I imagine that there’s probably me driving without a license somewhere in there as well,” Rem tacked on, however…

She looked down at Morgana.

That one was technically true.

Yoshizawa nodded understandingly. “Y-Yes… that’s why I couldn’t reconcile those rumours with you… Akira-senpai seems to trust you after all…” she said.

Rem hummed in thought about the frizzy-haired teen. “Actually… how do you know Akira?” Rem asked, their closeness bothering her for a bit. If she remembered correctly there was a first-year transfer student that transferred in at the start of the year at the same time as she and Akira had.

But why were they so close if they’d only transferred at the same time? Their closeness seemed like people who’d known each other for longer.

“O-Oh, um… I…” Yoshizawa stammered, her eyes falling downcast.

Rem knew at the moment she’d stepped on a landmine. “Actually, there’s no need to tell me,” she scrambled quickly to salvage the situation, Yoshizawa sending her a small but sad smile that she’d backed off for now.

“Thank you for not prying…” Yoshizawa who’d over the course of their conversation had seemed to almost come out of her shell had quickly withdrawn back in, Rem wincing as she noticed. “I’m… I don’t think I’m ready just yet to-”

“Ah!” a little girl cried out as she passed the two of them, the red balloon in her hand slipping from her grasp for a moment. It must’ve been a helium balloon Rem realised with how quickly it was ascending.

“That’s a shame-” Morgana murmured as he looked up at the ascending red balloon.

Or at least it was until Rem felt the bench beneath her give the slightest bit as a red-clad figure used the bench like a springboard to lift herself high into the air, her legs splitting to give her the slightest bit more height. Yoshizawa’s hand managed to just clutch the string tied to the end of the balloon before the slim first year quickly fell to the ground.

In an impressive feat of flexibility, Rem and Morgana both watched as she curled into a ball, her back rolling along the cement ground smoothly before uncoiling herself with nary a hair out of place and the slightest huff from the sudden physical exertion. As she rolled to her feet, she slowly stood up before slowly crouching down to give the girl the balloon with a shy smile.

“Wh-What the hell just happened?!” Morgana sputtered on Rem’s lap.

“Make sure you don’t let go… okay?” she whispered gently at the captivated little girl who gave a brilliant smile as she accepted the red balloon. With the little girl happily trotting away Yoshizawa turned to find both Rem and Morgana staring at her blankly.

“You…” Rem began trying to find the words for what just happened.

That balloon had risen well over four metres before Yoshizawa had plucked it out of the air like it was nothing. Even taking into the fact that she’d used a solid wooden bench like a springboard Rem also considered that she was able to react fast enough to accurately grasp a thin string in mid-air before landing in a ball on solid cement and coming out of the whole ordeal unharmed.

Eventually, Rem just gave up as she sent Yoshizawa a wry smile as she returned to her seat. “That was pretty impressive,” Rem said truthfully, her words causing Yoshizawa to flush and preen under the compliment.

“I-It was nothing,” the transfer honour student shook her head bashfully. “That was just some simple gymnastics really…” she tried to deflect not that Rem really believed her.

There was a difference between basic gymnastics and using a wooden bench to springboard yourself thirteen feet into the air and landing on cement ground safely. A very big difference since most gymnastics weren’t done in urban areas but inside specialised training or testing grounds.

Yoshizawa noticed Rem’s disbelieving look and tried to dissuade her further. “I-It’s n-not that difficult really! Once you get the hang of it, it’s just a hop, skip and jump… really…” she trailed off as she realised her words weren’t having any effect in dissuading the disbelieving eyes of her senior.

“Gymnastics… that’s an idea…” Morgana murmured in Rem’s lap only to receive a scratch under his chin for what most likely seemed like a plea for more scratches from Yoshizawa.

“Your cat is quite friendly, isn’t he?” Yoshizawa giggled only for Morgana to scowl slightly.

“Not a cat…” Morgana grumbled as he was placed under the caring ministrations of Yoshizawa.

Rem rolled her eyes at the façade Morgana tried to put up but she was still able to understand what he’d been implying.

Gymnastics was generally quite a physical sport despite how relatively flashy and simple it was. Being as flexible and limber as Yoshizawa might be what saves the Phantom Thieves from being skewered by a fractal of ice or dodge bolts of lightning.

Her red-headed kohai seemed to notice the look of contemplation on her face as Yoshizawa tilted her head in an inquisitive manner. “Is something wrong, Amamiya-senpai?” she asked, no small amount of concern noticeable in her eyes.

Guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“Would you be willing to teach me some gymnastics?” Rem asked straightforward. It was easier to be blunt rather than dancing around the subject.

“H-Hwah?” Yoshizawa actually recoiled in surprise at the sudden request. “Y-You want me to teach you gymnastics?” she stuttered slightly baffled at the abrupt nature of Rem’s appeal.

Yoshizawa seemed to mull it over for a bit, weighing pros and cons in her mind as her long red hair flickered and fluttered in the spring breeze. She was mulling over so much that she’d stopped scratching Morgana’s chin much to his disappointment.

“You… really want to learn gymnastics?” Yoshizawa broached shyly as she sent Rem a hesitant look, confirming that was what she wanted.

Rem nodded seriously.

“If you’re sure…” Yoshizawa seemed to make up her mind as she gained some measure of confidence in herself. “I-If you want to learn gymnastics I-I’d be honoured if you’d let me teach you,” Yoshizawa managed to stammer out in acceptance causing Rem to chuckle at her nature.

“I’d be honoured to be your student,” Rem smiled comfortingly, more than well aware that this must have been something new and out of the comfort zone of the normally demure girl. She was actually happy that she’d managed to bring her out of her shell again.

Yoshizawa flushed at being told that Rem would be her student but a flash of consternation appeared across her face for the briefest of moments. “A-Actually… I have a favour I’d like to ask of you as well- I-if you wouldn’t mind, of course!” she waved frantically downplaying her request as if it was nothing.

“I’d be more than happy,” Rem nodded feeling as if it was only fair for a favour to be returned with a favour.

Yoshizawa bit her lip in thought, her ruby red eyes belying the inner thoughts that warred within. “Akira-senpai… he’s my only friend…” she said haltingly still trying to think of a way to convey her words.

Rem stayed silent as she listened, Morgana doing the same as he laid down quietly in her lap no wanting to intrude.

“He… he was the one to tell me to l-look for people that would be friends with me because I’m me… because I’m Sumire…” Yoshizawa looked at her with hopeful but hesitant eyes. “Wh-what I’m trying to say is… w-would you be my friend?”

Rem felt as if there was something _more_ to this request but… Yoshizawa- no… Sumire seemed lonely. Not lonely but… as if she was looking for people to trust in and believe in.

Sort of like when she herself had when she arrived in Tokyo on her first day, or on her first day at Shujin Academy. Sumire only had Akira… but Rem had Ryuji, Ann, Morgana, Yusuke… and was still building her group of friends.

Rem didn’t see this as a transaction any longer.

“I’d love to Sumire,” Rem smiled extending a hand, Sumire giving a small but beautiful smile at her words.

Sumire grasped Rem’s hand in her own, two dainty hands giving a firm shake as the two smiled. “It’s a deal…” Sumire whispered with glistening eyes.

The world froze.

The familiar voice of a young girl resounded in her mind, the sound of chains shattering accompanying her as Rem felt her soul make way for a new Arcana.

**I am thou, thou art I…**

**Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

**It shall become the wings of rebellion**

**that breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

**With the birth of the Faith Persona,**

**I have obtained the winds of blessing that**

**shall lead to freedom and new power…**

The Faith Persona… huh…

As far as Rem was aware, most of her social links had followed the same pattern as that of the Major Arcana found in Tarot Cards, with Doctor Maruki and Sumire being the sole exceptions to that rule.

“W-Would you mind if we exchanged contact information?” Sumire asked with a small happy smile spread across her face as she took out her phone. Rem was a bit surprised to see her pull out a fairly dinged up smartphone, but from the otherwise surface-damage it was still working by how Sumire opened it up and quickly flicked to her contact list.

Rem pulled out her own phone, scrolling to through her contact list-

“Oh, that looks exactly like Akira-senpai’s phone,” Sumire murmured, looking at Rem’s phone, the backside looking akin to old floor steel. Rem rose a brow at that strange and sudden comment. It wasn’t like it was a rare phone, uncommon to see but not all that rare.

Sumire noticed Rem’s raised brow and shook her head before extending her phone, the two devices tapping against each other and exchanging contact information via Bluetooth.

“Let me know when you’d like to learn about some gymnastics or if you’d just like to spend some time together,” Sumire smiled as she tucked away her phone, Rem doing the same thing.

“Sure thing,” Rem nodded.

* * *

**_Attention Shujin Academy students: the clean-up event will be ending momentarily._ **

Their time together was eventually cut short as the Student Council President’s voice came from over the microphone. Morgana took that as his cue to return to Rem’s bag, quickly clambering inside before Rem zipped it closed. Noticing the question look that Sumire was sending her, she lifted a finger to her lips before miming silence.

Sumire was still confused but no longer sent Rem a questioning look.

**_Please do not discard your trash in the waste bins here. Even though utensils and bowls are environmentally friendly, please bring your waste to the predetermined waste disposal location._ **

**_After that has been dealt with, we shall officially be releasing everyone for the day. Thank you all for your hard work._ **

“Oh finally,” Rem gave a groan of relief as she stretched up at that announcement.

“Um… Rem-senpai…” Sumire murmured, Rem looking down at her questioningly. Actually, now that she noticed, she was actually half a head taller than her. Shaking her head she paid attention to what Sumire was saying.

“Since we’re already in our gym clothes… would you mind if I taught you some basic exercises and training before heading home…?” Sumire asked with a slight fidget. “I’m… actually still waiting for Akira-senpai to finish up with his duties as well.

Rem thought about it for a moment before shrugging. “That doesn’t seem like all that bad of an idea,” she eventually admitted before turning and giving Sumire her full attention.

Sumire clasped her hands in front of her in delight. “Wonderful! Um… what can I teach you though…” she tittered around in thought, her head tilting. “Ah! How about some core exercises…? That’s what I first started with,” Sumire suggested, a mix between passionate enthusiasm and her normal demure self.

Rem shrugged, not all that familiar with any basic gymnastics so this seemed a good a place as any to start. “Let’s do it,” she agreed.

As Rem trained with Sumire, she felt as if it may have been a bit of a bad idea to have done it on a full stomach, the heavenly but heavy curry that Akira had made was sloshing around dangerously in her stomach.

**+5 Health**

She was thankful she didn’t end up vomiting by the end of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not safe!
> 
> Fic recommendation of fellow authors works.
> 
> MonkKind - The Future of Royal:  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13552255/1/The-Future-of-Royal  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762923/chapters/57076690
> 
> VitaminLuce - Wistful Dreams:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24296992/chapters/58568461
> 
> VitaminLuce - A Birthday Well Spent:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762923/chapters/57076690
> 
> D1g1taldude - Fool's Protection  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13591616/1/Fool-s-protection
> 
> This one cause actually really good despite it being Yuri-on-ice x P5R and me having no idea what it is.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013726/chapters/57772423#workskin


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…. some of you might be wondering “Hawk, where the fuck have you been, it’s been like a week since you last updated!”
> 
> My answer?
> 
> Getting ass-reamed and raped by assignments. Today’s like the only free ay I have to work on this fic then tomorrow till Friday next week I’ll be back to working on assignments. Then it’ll all be over and I might return to my coffee-fuelled fanfic writing rather than coffee-fuelled assignments.
> 
> Spent like ¾ of the day just sleeping so that was nice after being awake for 48-hours. Thought I saw the face of god at one point but turned out it was just my reflection in the tv above my desk. 
> 
> On with this shitshow of a fic!

It was Sunday morning, five days after Akira’s school excursion to clean-up Inokashira Park that Goro found himself in the strange situation of his frizzy-haired friend actually staying home for the first time in just about forever. In a strange turn of events, Goro watched as Akira subjected himself to his hated coffee rather than spending his day at Leblanc, and what was even stranger was the fact that Akira was using the television.

As far as Goro could recall they’d used the thing close to a total of ten times in the three years he’d lived here.

“I’m surprised you’re watching the news,” Goro commented as he watched Akira sip his coffee on the sofa from his position at the kitchen counter, the two rooms adjacent enough that he’d be able to eat his Sunday pancakes while watching the news and reading the newspaper on his phone.

“I’m bored,” Akira said simply before picking up the tv remote and beginning to browse through the news channels. As he scrolled through the television networks with his remote, the large seventy-inch tv leaving brief traced of static as he switched through the channels, the speakers he’d bought blaring the noise of each channel as he flipped through them, he tried to search for the news channels that would be covering Madarame’s closing of his exhibit.

He paused as he found it.

“Madarame’s closing speech about the exhibit?” Goro frowned from his spot at the counter, slightly miffed at this reminder of what had happened in the artist’s Palace. Even moreso miffed when he’d tried to enter it the day after only to find it had simply vanished like it would have had he killed the owner of a distorted heart.

He shook his head before Akira could notice.

Just as he was about to take another bite of his pancake, he heard crying… from the _television_. Goro slowly placed down his fork as he stared at the news channel playing in the living room, both himself and Akira entranced by the crying elderly artist.

**_I… I have committed crimes that are unbecoming of an artist._ **

Those words caused Goro, in a rare display of himself, to abandon his pancakes and move over next to Akira and take a seat on the couch, fully immersing himself with what was on the news. Goro felt his phone vibrate but with a quick motion, he turned it to silent before tossing it to the side onto a cushion facedown so its vibrations wouldn’t make too much noise as he paid attention to what was in front of him.

**_Plainly put… I, um… plagiarized work…_ **

“Well damn…” Akira muttered as they both watched the screen

On-screen, the cameras started flashing, capturing the stunning admission of Japan’s most famous artist.

**_I-I… tainted this- this country’s art world… and even ‘Sayuri’! H-How could I… I possibly… apologize to – to everyone for… for what I’ve done… Aaaah…_ **

Goro watched as this man just completely admitted to his own crimes, breaking down sobbing in the middle of a public interview. It was one thing to hear it over the phone, but this… this was _amazing_. There was a way to actually make someone admit their own crimes by their own admission.

Now… if only he could find out the method they’d used. He internally grimaced in remembrance of the black-masked individual he’d encountered within the elderly man’s heart.

Loki roiled in agitation while Robin Hood stood silent.

Had it not been for the black-clad figure, he’d have been able to discern their methods.

The news channel was quickly cut, their views most likely dropping from the admission by the famed artist Madarame, a man who’d just completely admitted that every work he’d ever produced was plagiarised.

Goro mulled it over, correlating that twice now, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts had through the use of the Metaverse, changed the heart of another corrupt criminal. Once was an accident but this second time… when he’d seen them in the Madarame’s heart they at least seemed like they’d known a marginal amount of what they were doing.

“Akira…” Goro turned to his friend, the frizzy-haired teen looking at him questioningly, “…What are your opinions on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?”

…

Akira’s eyes didn’t betray his thoughts, his face an impassive mask as he thought over his next words.

He didn’t get the chance to answer his question, however, as Goro’s phone vibrated violently signalling that rather than just the spam of messages he’d been receiving, it was a phone call instead. The brown-haired second coming of the detective prince allowed his hand to wander and pick it up and look at the Caller ID.

With an almost resigned sigh as he realised who it was, Goro unlocked his phone and answered the incoming call. “Good evening, Sae-san,” the brown-haired detective greeted tiredly already knowing exactly what his silver-haired liaison with the SIU was calling about.

“I presume you’re calling regarding the confession by one Ichiryusai Madarame?” Goro inquired while Akira took another sip of the coffee, flashing a grateful nod as he muted the television, the news still scrolling along its surface.

“Yes. It’s quite sudden isn’t it?” Sae confirmed from across the other side of the connection, “At the very end of his recent exhibition he decides to call an emergency conference. What’s more, he decided to release a decades-old secret he’d been harbouring? If I hadn’t known any better I would have guessed this would have been the work of a certain group.”

Goro rolled his eyes at the lack of subtlety Sae was displaying. She must be agitated if she wasn’t even trying. “No need to beat around the bush Sae-san, we’re both well aware that this was likely the work of the Phantom Thieves,” Goro said casually, internally cheerful at the slight hitch that echoed across the connection along with the accompanying pause.

“You knew…?”

It was always wonderful to catch the SIU’s top prosecutor off-guard.

“Of course,” Goro affirmed allowing a rare smirk to display itself across his face, safe in the fact Sae wouldn’t have been able to see him. “The Shibuya Precinct is already aware that the Phantom Thieves have done something regarding Madarame-san. Once more I’ve been assigned the case for Madarame since this is the second incident following Shujin Academy.”

Goro listened to the silence that resounded through the connection.

“…And you hadn’t thought it prudent to inform me?” If he hadn’t known any better, he would have assumed Sae was _hissing_ at him in displeasure.

“Sae-san, we may be liaisons and partners between the Precinct and the Special Investigation Unit, however, we are partners,” Goro replied with a clipped tone. “You are not my superior officer nor are you an investigator. You are a prosecutor and as far as I’m aware, that does not mean that I need to share with you my findings unless I’ve been directly ordered to by my immediate superiors.”

A stunned silence took over the connection, Sae most likely unused to being reminded that not everyone would simply hand her information. Goro looked up for a moment and found Akira staring at him analytically, slowly taking a sip of his murky black coffee.

“My apologies, Akechi-kun… I’d forgotten myself for a moment,” Goro was slightly surprised by the apology but thought nothing of it. Chances were she’d ask for the two of them to meet up to discuss the information gathered by their respective organisations and place it all on the table.

“If you’d be amenable, I’d like to meet with you to discuss the information the both of us have gathered,” Sae offered, her voice confident and authoritative but humbled at the reminder that he _didn’t_ answer to her.

Goro smiled lightly.

Called it.

“Of course,” Goro accepted, “I’m free at the moment. Would you like to meet in the SIU building lobby?”

“That would be appreciated.”

“I’ll be there within the hour,” Goro didn’t wait to hear her response as he disconnect the call.

“Trouble in paradise?” Akira smiled from across the couch as Goro stood up.

“You already know it’s not like that,” Goro refuted with a shake of his head as he made his way to the kitchen, grabbing his unfinished plate of pancakes and placing them into the microwave for a couple of seconds to reheat them.

“Do you have any other plans today other than being a couch potato?” Goro asked as he stared at the timer, the numbers slowly ticking to zero as he waited.

He could hear behind him as Akira got off the couch and moving to the kitchen, the ceramic of his mug clinking against the metal of the sink. “Not particularly. I might go to Shibuya then maybe Leblanc for lunch,” Akira said.

Goro gave Akira a concerned look as the microwave dinged, taking out his pancakes before turning around to look at him as he continued eating his pancakes. “I don’t understand how you can eat curry day in and day out…” Goro retorted looking at Akira.

Akira just gave Goro a dead stare, specifically at the plate of pancakes he was currently eating. “You’re one to talk,” Akira mumbled as he reclined against the counter, Goro giving him a light glare as he polished off the pastries before sliding his dirty cutlery into the sink, running water over it to loosen the stuck-on maple syrup that had dehydrated in the microwave.

“I’ll be heading over to the precinct then the SIU building for the day, will you be okay?” Goro asked as he made sure he had everything, his metal briefcase and keys with him.

“You won’t be finding me in the hospital if that’s what you’re asking,” Akira retorted with a roll of his eyes, plucking his keys off the hook in the kitchen.

“You’ve yet to give me a reason otherwise to believe that,” Goro said as the two made their way out of the house, Akira locking the door behind them. “I’ll see you later tonight,” he said as he got on his hybrid bike, placing a helmet securely on is head before looking at Akira.

“Stay safe.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Akira waved dismissively but a smirk still on his face, “Good luck with your investigation.”

With their pieces said, the two split off in different directions.

* * *

“So, uh…” Ann was the first to speak up as the five Phantom Thieves met up at their hideout in the walkway of Shibuya Station. “Is anyone going to address the elephant in the room?” she couldn’t help but ask as she noticed Rem pointedly ignoring Ryuji’s existence while Ryuji just seemed to slump in exhaustion.

“They’ve been like this since yesterday, Lady Ann,” Morgana informed dutifully if warily, ensuring he was far away from his braided-haired roommate.

“Is this situation a common sight between them?” Yusuke asked as he took a few steps back, framing Rem between his fingers like a photograph since she seemed to radiate the aura of feminine scorn.

“I… wouldn’t say so, no,” Ann shook her head. “What the heck happened between the two of them?” Ann asked the only source of information that was seemed even the slightest bit willing to relinquish any sort of information.

Which was not the two humans but the talking cat of the group.

Morgana let out a sigh, giving a moment to look up at the two affected individuals, specifically at Ryuji to give him the chance to defend himself. When he didn’t Morgana began to explain.

“Ryuji and Mishima decided to sign their death warrant yesterday.”

“…What?” Ann had to ask since it seemed she was the _only_ one in the group even remotely interested with fixing the team dynamic, Yusuke having long-since pulled out his sketchbook and beginning to sketch Rem’s stewing form.

It was at this point that someone decided to step-in and actually defend himself. “Look…” Ryuji began, wincing as he realised he’d have to divulge information that wasn’t something you’d exactly want to say to any females around you.

“It can’t be _that_ bad…” Ann cocked her hip to the side as she looked at Ryuji before she looked at Rem who was still making it clear she was unhappy at the moment then looking back at Ryuji, “…can it?”

“Not…really?” Ryuji hedged but winced nonetheless as he rubbed the back of his head, embarrassment lingering in his eyes. “I mean, me an’ Mishima wanted to go do somethin’ but then Rem found out, and-” he began to say quickly, his words making little sense to the female blonde.

Ann looked at him annoyed before snapping her fingers in front of his face to get his attention, “Would you slow down and give details? You’re not making it any easier to figure out what’s going on.”

Morgana shook his head pityingly while Ryuji slumped. “Yeah, I know, it’s just…” Ryuji said haltingly before taking a deep breath.

“Me an’ Mishima were discussin’ bout using a housekeepin’ service in a vacant apartment in my complex, found the flyer stuffed in my mailbox yesterday,” Ryuji said quickly.

…

“That’s… it?” Ann couldn’t help but ask before looking at Rem with a questioning eyebrow. Even for her, this was a bit over the top.

“Not… exactly,” Morgana shook his head before looking at Ryuji, “Do you want to continue?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryuji sighed. “I was talkin’ to Mishima ‘bout this in the courtyard yesterday and then Rem found us…”

“Okay… I’m still following along but why is Rem mad at you now?” Ann asked.

Ryuji looked at her forlornly with a wince.

“Mishima told her everything and invited her along.”

“Ah…” It dawned on Ann before she similarly winced. Then it also dawned on Ann what Rem tended to do in those types of situations, usually involving her fist and someone’s face. “Mishima’s still alive right?”

“Yeah… almost got my head taken off for my troubles,” Ryuji sighed. “Rem would’ve broken Mishima’s face if I hadn’t held her back.”

“That still doesn’t explain why she’s mad with you though,” Ann pointed out.

“Because he stopped me from knocking Mishima out for even suggesting that I’d be interested,” a voice growled, the three looking over to Rem who’d finally broken free from her brooding and approached them.

Or at least Ann since Ryuji had decided to taken refuge behind the blonde.

“It’s like herding cats with you,” Ann sighed as she digested Rem’s flimsy explanation her eyes narrowing at their braided haired leader. “Look, that’s it.”

Ryuji looked at her in confusion.

A dainty hand snapped out, a finger coiled back before flicking forward.

Rem recoiled stunned.

Yusuke continued sketching.

“Rem, you’re meant to be the voice of reason here,” Ann dressed down her friend as she nursed her afflicted nose from where it’d been finger-flicked. “Ryuji did the right thing, if you’d assaulted Mishima at school you’d have been expelled before you knew it.”

Rem looked at her stunned, not having even taken that into account when she’d lost herself into that familiar feminine fury that had consumed her similar to when she’d punched Yusuke’s lights out. She looked at Ryuji who was still using Ann as a human shield, wincing as she realised that his was because of her.

“I really messed up, didn’t I?” Rem, wincing as she looked at Ryuji and Ann.

“Just a bit,” Ann admitted before moving to the side. “Don’t you have something to say to Ryuji first?”

Ryuji had a deer caught in the headlights look with his human shield having suddenly left him to fend for himself. That look became more pronounced as he now faced with his red-eyed leader. That look became one of confusion as a lithe pair of arms ensconced him in a hug.

“Thank you for stopping me yesterday,” Rem said as she hugged him, Ryuji frozen and tense in her arms, “And… sorry for being mad at you.”

“U-Uhh…” Ryuji flushed as he flailed for words, his eyes meeting Ann’s looking for help.

Ann just shrugged her shoulders, watching as Rem apologised and Ryuji was out of his depths, Morgana by her side watching the two do this in the middle of the Shibuya subway.

Thankfully for Ryuji, Rem eventually relented. “So… uh… we good?” Ryuji asked hesitantly, more than confused at what had transpired since when he was behind Ann he was unable to see what’d happened between the two.

Rem smiled, “We’re good, I was just being stupid.”

Ryuji just stared before slumping. “Oh thank god, was kinda worried you’d be mad at me all week,” Ryuji said wryly before looking up. “So… since that’s been fixed anyone wanna explain why exactly we’re here?”

Ryuji lurched as a small black form pounced onto his shoulder, a small paw batting him in the face. “Did you really forget?” Morgana asked as a small batted at Ryuji’s head ineffectively.

“Huh?” Ryuji let out in confusion, “Forget bout what?”

“Madarame’s confession,” Ann said only to get a confused look from Ryuji before his eyes widened and he frantically made to pull out his phone.

“I totally missed it!” Ryuji scrolled through his phone, looking through the various new channel before finding the one covering Madarame, but just low enough that only they could hear.

“How in the world did you miss it? It was broadcasted on every television in Shibuya,” Ann asked confused. It was practically impossible to travel through the city without being bombarded with news, much less breaking news such as Madarame’s confession which rocked all of Tokyo.

“Honestly? I was so worried about Rem that I ended up completely missing it on the way here,” Ryuji admitted with a shrug as he finished watching the latest news broadcast about Madarame.

“Damn… it’s just like what happened with Kamoshida,” Ryuji said as he tucked away his phone, readjusting Morgana who was perched on his shoulder.

“They also pointed out the calling card that was sent, which… wait, where’s Yusuke?” Ann said before looking for their blue-haired friend.

“My apologies, I’d gotten distracted during my time sketching,” a male’s voice said from behind Ryuji, freaking both him and Morgana out.

“Holy-! Yusuke, man! Say something before you do that!” Ryuji yelped as he made space for the tall teen who was still in the middle of sketching before snapping his sketchbook closed with a snap.

“I’m sorry, I was so distracted with sketching the four of you that I’d momentarily forgotten why we were here,” Yusuke apologised, a small smile on his face.

“Even in the middle of a train station, he can find time for art… amazing,” Morgana muttered shaking his head.

“Forgetting about that, you called for me?” Yusuke asked as he looked at Ann.

“She was talking about the calling card you made,” Rem whispered, making sure she kept her voice low enough that the average bustling of pedestrian traffic would cover it.

“Ah yes, it took a while with Ryuji’s assistance but we were able to make something that worked,” Yusuke gave a reminiscent smile basking himself in the memories of forging the calling card.

“No kidding, it was so much better than the one Ryuji made,” Morgana muttered from atop said teen’s shoulder.

“Hey, not like you could do any better,” Ryuji growled.

“I have paws, what’s your excuse?” Morgana retorted.

“Dammit…” Ryuji huffed as he conceded before shaking his head, “But still, with stuff like this, we can change the hearts of more and more people.”

“Heck, with this… we might even be able to do more than just getting’ back at society,” Ryuji crowed lightly, but evident by how he kept himself quiet he was still more than aware that they were out in public.

“And do what?” Rem asked curiously.

“Uh…” Ryuji paused for a moment before scratching the back of his head with a sheepish look, “I’ll be honest, I’m not sure.”

“Well we’re giving courage to others to ask for help,” Ann pointed out, waggling her phone with the phan-site open.

“For two breakdowns to happen in such a short period of time is too massive to be a coincidence,” Morgana chirped up. “We’ve finally proved to the public that we exist. We can help more and more people.”

“Heh… that doesn’t sound half-bad,” Ryuji smirked

Both Rem and Yusuke noticed a pair of attendance officers approaching to their side, stopping just a few feet away before falling into quiet discussion.

“We may want to quiet down for a moment,” Yusuke advised seriously, broken from his artistic reverie.

“Uh… do you know them?” Ann asked, not knowing who they were.

“They’re attendance officers,” Rem said simply with a shrug. The moment she’d said that the two officers approached the group.

“Hello there,” an officer wearing a suit and a pair of sunglasses greeted Rem, his partner standing beside him with a stern look on his face dressed in the normal Shibuya precinct uniform. “May I speak with the four of you for a moment?”

“Ah, yes! How can we help you?” Ann asked in a nervous monotonous tone that made everyone including the officers look at her strangely.

“That monotonous acting of hers never fails to send a chill down my spine,” Morgana murmured.

“Uh… you wanna be a little less nervous?” Ryuji asked in disbelief.

“Is your friend alright?” the officer with the shades asked as he looked at Ann in concern. He made to approach but Rem threw an arm out stopping him.

He gave her a questioning look.

“Sorry,” Rem apologised on the spot, her mind running at a thousand miles a minute trying to think up an excuse, “She doesn’t have a great experience with males in positions of authority?” 

It ended up sound more like a question rather than a statement.

“E-Excuse me?” the officer in the sunglasses seemed taken aback while the one beside him seemed to laser-focus his sights on Rem, before swivelling from her to Ryuji and Ann.

The officer with the glasses made to say something but was cut off when his partner placed a hand on his shoulder and moving him gently to the side, moving to the front himself.

“Are you all from Shujin Academy?” he asked in a straight-forward manner, his question sending the entire group ramrod straight. He simply stared at Rem when he didn’t receive an answer

After a few seconds of staring, Rem eventually and reluctantly nodded.

The police officer stared for a moment longer before taking off his cap and running a hand through his short hair with a sigh.

“Sorry about that,” the man apologised surprising them, “I have a daughter that attends Shujin. When the Shibuya Precinct was informed about the PE teacher that violated his students, I was one of the first to know alongside some of my colleagues who have students that go there as well.”

The attendance officer looked at Ann in particular with an extremely apologetic look, “I’m sorry if we’ve made you uncomfortable.”

The four just stood there in shock processing the information, before Ann finally responded. “N-No, it’s okay. You’re just doing your job,” she said earning her a grateful look from the officer.

“Thank you,” the officer nodded before placing his hat back on, “We’re just going around ensuring that everyone is okay following the odd happenings lately along with the confession by an artist.”

“Uh, nah… we’re all good. Didn’t really bother us,” Ryuji said.

The officer in the blue shirt nodded while his partner stayed quiet. “That’s good. Do make sure you get home before it’s late as a precaution with everything that’s been happening.”

“Will do officer,” Rem nodded, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Thank you,” the officer nodded before sending one last glance at Ann, “Our apologies for making you uncomfortable. We hope you have a good day,” he apologised once more with a slight bow before he and his partner departed.

“Man… I’ll admit sorta surprised to find out that some of the officers actually give a damn,” Ryuji admitted as he kicked the ground. “Mishima said that nearly everyone including the parents and police knew ‘bout the abuse…”

“Not everyone it seems,” Rem said as she watched the two officers meld with the crowd and disappear. “I suppose not all adults are corrupt, just… unaware.”

“Yeah… thanks also for covering for me,” Ann looked at both Rem and Ryuji. “I had a small panic attack the moment they appeared.

“I am surprised, however, that they did not question Morgana’s presence,” Yusuke joined as he looked at Morgana who was still perched on Ryuji’s shoulder, holding his hands out and his finger creating a frame of both Ryuji and Morgana. “Your presence with each other seems quite natural….”

“We got lucky,” Morgana said as way of explanation, “After you admitted you were from Shujin, they basically turned a blind eye. But still… both victims of people’s whose hearts were stolen meeting up… for too large a coincidence.”

“Is it though?”

All heads turned to the voice who spoke.

“What?” Ryuji asked as he noticed everyone looking at him questioningly.

“You… sound like you’re on to something,” Rem said slowly, wondering if Ryuji might have had a point or if he was just trying to get a rise out of Morgana.

“Well… yeah?” Ryuji uttered as he scratched the back of his head, unused to the intense attention he was receiving. “I mean, is it really too big or somethin’ of a coincidence? Can’t we just tell ‘em the truth?”

“You want to tell people that we’re the Phantom Thieves? Are you a moron?” Ann hissed.

“No, not like that!” Ryuji scrambled for words. “I mean like how Yusuke asked you two to be his models and all that,” Ryuji said causing Ann to pause and both Rem and Yusuke to straighten.

“You… might be onto something,” Rem said as she thought about it.

“Right?” Ryuji grinned, “Yusuke did stalk the two of you through Shibuya station so it wouldn’t be too large a leap to say we became friends or somethin’?”

Everyone stood there in stunned silence.

“I guess you can come up with some amazing ideas from time to time Ryuji,” Morgana complimented. “At least now we have an alibi for why we always meet up.”

“I didn’t even think of that,” Ann muttered while Rem felt impressed.

“Excuse me, but I have something that I’d like to bring up,” Yusuke said ringing attention to him. “Back within Madarame’s Palace, he spoke of an individual doing as they pleased wearing a black mask… would you four happen to know who that may be?”

Aaaaand into the fire it seems.

“We… have a slight idea,” Rem said hesitantly.

Ryuji snorted. “Slight? We have a suspect who we think it might be,” Ryuji told Yusuke.

“Oh? That… is truly more than I’d hoped for,” Yusuke said. “That… does bring up the issue that there are more than just us within Palaces.”

“Yeah, this guy, he’s called ‘Remnant’ by the way,” Ryuji began to explain. “We met this guy in Mementos and he sorta kicked our asses.

“Mementos?” Yusuke tilted his head in confusion.

"The Palace of the public,” Ann added.

“And… you’ve fought this ‘Remnant’ and were soundly beaten?” Yusuke clarified.

“Yup, ass over tea-kettle,” Ryuji said with a grin, “and now that you’re here… dibs on not fighting the dude next time we see him!”

“…Can he do that?” Morgana asked.

“No, he can’t,” Rem shook her head watching in amusement as Ryuji tried to worm his way out of the inevitable. “We couldn’t beat him four-to-one so we’ll have to see if five will do.”

“I’m sorry, but you speak as if you plan to meet with the man in the black-mask,” Yusuke said even more confused than before.

“Yea, look it’s like this. Rem made an agreement with the guy that every time we become more and more famous, he’ll meet us in Mementos and fight us,” Ryuji grinned.

“Why are you so excited about this? Just a few seconds ago you wanted to get out of fighting him,” Ann asked with a raised brow.

“Well, we’ve gotten stronger, haven’t we?” Ryuji grinned, “Aaand it’ll be five against one so we’ve gotta have better chances! Besides, we can ask him what he was doin’ in Madarame’s Palace while we’re at it.”

“If he’s actually the one that was there,” Rem pointed out causing Ryuji and everyone else to look at her.

“What do you mean?” Morgana asked.

Rem shrugged as she leaned against the railing. “Well he did say that there were other ‘players’ in the game,” she quoted, the four quieting down as they realised she was being serious now. “He said that there were people out there that wouldn’t hesitate to kill us… if we couldn’t beat him, we’d be dead before the year’s up.”

“Man… completely forgot that’s the whole reason you agreed, huh?” Ryuji murmured, his grin faded before reigniting as he smashed his fist into his palm. “Guess we just gotta prove him wrong, yeah?”

Rem shook her head at Ryuji’s optimism. “And find out if the man in the black mask was him or not,” she added.

“That too.”

“Your enthusiasm in the face of such odds… it is inspiring,” Yusuke said quietly, the serious tension in the air dissipating like ash in the wind. “I do believe I’ve made the right choice in joining you.”

“You’d better believe it,” Ryuji smiled before slinging an arm around the teen’s shoulders, “It means there’s one more guy in the group as well!”

“That’s what you took away from all this?” Ann shook her head.

“He can’t help it, he’s been cooped up with us girls after all,” Rem said slyly, an amused glint in her eyes.

“That is true,” Ann hummed before a question popped into her head. “Actually, Yusuke what are you planning on doing now that Madarame’s being sent to prison?”

“I’ll be leaving the atelier,” Yusuke said as Ryuji relinquished his hold on the teen’s neck, “I can’t draw in such a place anymore.”

“Do you have anywhere to stay?” Rem asked in concern but that concern was unfounded as Yusuke nodded.

“I do, thanks to my fine arts scholarship I can stay at the school dorms free of charge,” Yusuke said simply.

“Wait, what?!” Ryuji recoiled in surprise, “You have a scholarship?”

“I do indeed,” Yusuke nodded.

“Huh… the more you know I guess,” Ryuji muttered, eyes still wide and comprehending. “At least this means it’ll be easier for us to meet up whenever we need to now that you live on your own. Don’t have to worry about anyone on your end.”

Yusuke nodded. “That would make things much easier, however, for now, I believe we should wait and see how things play out.”

Rem felt a prickling on the back of her neck.

“Fair enough,” Ryuji shrugged, “Gotta head into Mementos one of the days and chat with that ‘Remnant’ guy, never mind that it’ll take a while before someone with a Palace pops up.”

“So does that mean you’ll be acting like normal students for now?” Morgana asked as he hopped down from Ryuji’s shoulder before scrambling up Rem’s jeans and plopping himself in her bag.

“That would be for the best,” Rem nodded looking around at the others in agreement. “Good, I suppose now’s a good time to let you know that we’re being stalked?”

“What?!” Ann hissed looking around frantically but found no one. Ryuji and Yusuke doing the same but albeit at a much more casual pace.

“I’m getting that same feeling when Yusuke stalked us before,” Rem explained, the prickling sensation only intensifying even more as Ann’s field of vision swept over the crowds of Shibuya.

“I don’t suppose anyone knows a good place for students to hang out and kill some time? Somewhere we can use as a cover for now?” Rem asked curiously only to get shakes from Yusuke and Ann.

Ryuji, however, had a thousand mega-watt grin.

“I know a place in Kichijoji.”

* * *

The following day, Akira found himself slightly weirded out as he walked through the halls of Shujin Academy as girls would sometimes look at him and giggle in small groups as he walked by. Normally Sumire would have been with him but she was currently at gymnastics meet until midday.

“That’s him, right?”

“I can’t believe he did that. That’s so brave!”

By the time he reached the Student Council Room for his weekly Monday-morning meeting, he was glad to return to a sense of normalcy. “Good morning Nakajou-san, Ichihara-san,” Akira greeted as he shut the door closed behind him and greeted the two girls sitting at the cluster of tables moved together in the centre of the room

Azusa Nakajou was a second-year but if you’d seen her outside of her uniform you wouldn’t have been remiss in assuming she was younger. She barely even reached below Akira’s chest, petite and in possession of a head of chestnut curls, Akira had come to liken her akin to a squirrel. She was also the sole secretary of the Student Council.

Suzune Ichihara, on the other hand, was a third year, and more than looked the type. She had a tall but willowy frame and features that the description of ‘beauty’ would have done her justice. Those features, however, were nearly always set in a solemn almost stern expression. She possessed locks of hair so black that in a certain light they were blue and purple eyes the colour of grape wine. Ichihara was the treasurer of the student council.

“A-Ah, g-good morning Vice-President Kurusu!” Azusa greeted, a slight flush to her face. Suzune only gave a bare nod of acknowledgement, too engrossed in her work to do anything else.

“I’ve told you before Nakajou-san, there’s no need with the titles,” Akira shook his head as he took off his blazer and slung it over the back of a chair before sitting down, setting the umbrella he'd brought with him to the side since he'd made his way straight to the council room rather than leaving it by the front entrance.

“A-Ah… yes… I’m sorry Kurusu-san,” Azusa apologised, but with his height and her features even though she was calm she still looked like she was going to cry if he looked at her from above.

“Is Makoto-san late?” Akira asked as he noticed a distinct lack of brown-hair in the room.

Suzune only took a moment to look up from her papers to give Akira a long look.

“She’s currently busy at the moment dealing with an issue,” was her only response which was more than disconcerting as Akira felt as if she was insinuating that the problem had something to do with him.

Beside him Azusa sat down stiffly in her chair, fiddling with her smartphone in her hands. The smartphone flew through the air for a moment as the door slammed open and Makoto stomped her way in, a large pile of paperwork in her hands before in an ingenious way of using her limbs, her foot snagged the door before shutting it closed.

The table jolted from the sheer weight of the paperwork before Makoto promptly split the pile of paperwork into two, a small pile and a large pile.

The three members of the student council sat quietly, Suzune continuing her own paperwork while Akira and Azusa looked at the Council President who seemed to be staring a hole into the papers, Azusa tittering nervously.

“I am finding myself in the unique position of reconsidering your position on the student council Akira-san,” Makoto said as she finally looked up from the two piles of paperwork to stare at him exasperation clear in her eyes. “You’re diligent and hard-working in your duties but you also seem to have a precarious knack for involving yourself in troublesome situations.”

Akira found himself flummoxed, unsure of what she was talking about. It must have been on his face as Makoto just sighed.

“You don’t know, do you?” she asked before slumping in her chair.

“Would you like me to show him, Niijima-senpai?” Azusa asked Makoto, a hesitant look in her eyes.

Makoto gave a deep sigh before nodding.

“Please…” she murmured before pinching the bridge of hir nose aggrieved.

Akira found himself even more confused as Nakajou turned to him and handed him her phone, a video on the screen. It was black with the play button glaringly bright in the middle. He rose a brow at Azusa whose only response was to press the play button.

Akira found himself watching the video, only able to stare at himself on-screen, Sumire hiding behind him with her hands clutching his blazer and, in his grasp, a middle-aged man who was sweating profusely.

Akira just stared as the video confused as it played out, the sound more than audible in the small

**_H-Huh? Wh-Who the hell are you?_ **

**_I’m a student at Shujin as well. I’m more than happy to talk if you’d like._ **

**_Dammit, no need to get worked up! Just being friendly!_ ** ****

**_The last person that was being ‘friendly’ to a girl from Shujin, raped her. We’ve had enough with paedophiles like you._ **

**_Tch, bloody brat!_ **

**_I-I’ll sue, you damn brat!_ **

**_Go for it. You tried to assault me in broad daylight in the middle of public in an area full of CCTV cameras.”_ **

**_It’ll be more than obvious that it’s a case of self-defence…_ **

**_I_ ** **_’m sure the police down at the Shibuya Precinct would love to see the footage of how you tried to sexually harass a student from the same school their daughters go to._ **

“Because of you, I’ve had to deal with the fallout alongside Principal Kobayakawa when this video was posted this morning by an anonymous source and began to circulate online,” Makoto said as the video finished. “By then, the online community had already come to a consensus.”

She gave him a dull and exhausted look.

“Congratulations, Vice-President Kurusu. You’re now considered the face of Shujin Academy.”

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck indeed.
> 
> Yusuke, I love you my man but why the fuck are you so hard to write????
> 
> Next chapter won’t be out for like a week cause I need to focus on my assignments.
> 
> Also here’s the AO3 link for a fantastic story known as Retribution of the Trickster by Asphaow but call him Chadzura since that’s his name.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24405181/chapters/58872412


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with chapter 27 everyone! Would be working on assignment but spent like twenty hours sleeping because I think my body needed rest and the other four hours I’m using of the day is to write a fanfic rather than do anything mentally demanding. Like think.
> 
> Enjoy.

“Fuck.”

Akira groaned as he allowed his head to fall into the palm of his hands and massage his temples, trying to stem the building headache that seemed to be his life. He tried to deal with the oncoming pain in his temples as Azusa tittered beside him nervously, his fellow second-year already proving to be the empathetic sort.

“I-It can’t be that bad, can it?” the chestnut-haired secretary tried to defend him.

“It is not,” Suzune nodded from her paperwork, the normally taciturn treasurer joining the conversation.

“However, Vice-President Kurusu displays through the videos that he protects female students, even if that isn’t necessarily the truth,” she said plainly, barely looking up from her reports, “Additionally, I do believe over the course of the past two hours, videos and pictures regarding the suicide incident with Suzui-san along with various anonymous explanations were posted soon after.”

Akira just looked up, remembering faintly that there was a whole crowd of students hovering over him and Shiho at the time with their phones out. “So everyone knows about that now?” Akira bemoaned.

“Not everyone, no. Simply those who have been on any online forums or social media site within the last four hours,” Suzune informed him, her hand not stopping for a moment as she continued to file out forms.

“It’s been a nightmare this morning trying to run interference,” Makoto sighed. “Akira-san, you’re quite literally the only thing people have talked to me about this morning.”

Akira tried to give a humourous grin and deflect the situation. “You’re not serious, are you?”

The dull deadpan look that Makoto sent him told him it wasn’t. The brown-haired student-council president stood up, placing a hand on the smaller of the two piles of paperwork that she’d brought into the room. If he had to guess, it must’ve been at least twelve inches thick.

“If I wasn’t trying to work with Principal Kobayakawa in sorting out the mess you made through that video, I’ve been sorting out the mess you made at Inokashira Park,” she said lowly, red-eyes piercing his grey orbs.

“You’ve lost me,” Akira responded truthfully, completely unsure of what she was talking about. Both Azusa and Suzune paused in what they were doing and made painstaking actions in _not_ looking in any direction near Akira which only caused his grief to increase.

Makoto chose to raise a paper from the small pile beneath her hand and showed it to Akira.

“This… is a student request form,” Makoto said simply.

“Okay…” Akira said slowly and unsurely.

“Would you like to know exactly what they’re requesting?” Makoto said.

“I have the feeling I don’t… but I also get the feeling you’re going to tell me anyway,” Akira said, his words while witty only caused a sickeningly sweet smile to spread across the third-year student council president’s lips.

“This is a request asking for you to cook curry,” Makoto said before slamming the thin sheet back onto the small pile. “This whole pile is just people asking for you to cook curry for them. Not even just students either, I saw Miss Chouno somewhere in this pile!”

Akira sweatdropped as Makoto seemed to lose all of her energy and just slumped into her seat. “Now do you see why I’m reconsidering your position?” she asked looking at him in exhaustion.

He really didn’t.

“Do pay little mind to Niijima-san,” Makoto’s fellow third-year and council treasurer stated. “She is simply venting as she has found herself returning to her normal workload. She would loathe to actually reconsider your position as you have proven yourself proficient in lightening the paperwork she would normally have as Student-President without your assistance.”

“Must you tell him that?” Makoto asked before looking at Akira. “But, yes… Ichihara-san is correct. As much trouble as you’ve shown yourself able to get into, it would be a nightmare if I removed you from your position. For myself the most,” she admitted with no amount of fatigue.

“I see… I’ll have to do my best to make up for it then,” Akira nodded carefully before his gaze drifted to the larger pile of papers sitting in front of Makoto.

Makoto noticed his lingering gaze, her own eyes staring at the papers for a moment before looking at Akira, switching between the two intermittently.

Akira sighed. “Is that the student paperwork for the social studies field trip?” he asked tiredly only to get an unclear response from Makoto.

“Not exactly…” she said as she took a small portion from the top and placed it to the side before sliding the rest of the pile to Akira. “These are student forms for the second-years,” Makoto stated as she slid the well over two feet tall stack of papers to him causing him to stare at it in despair.

“You… need to fill these out in triplicate,” Makoto grimaced while Akira stared at her horrified. “One set of forms for the parents, one set of forms for the academy, and another set of forms for whichever locations each student has chosen for their studies field trip.”

“Wonderful…” Akira murmured sarcastically as he grabbed a sheet of paper and began looking at the contents. It’d take a while to finish but nothing that copious amounts of coffee and an all-nighter couldn’t fix.

He looked back at Makoto and the little sheaf of papers in front of her. “Do I need to do anything with those ones?” Akira asked curiously.

“These are just forms that need to be filled out for each field trip location.” Makoto picked up the pile of papers and scanned their contents. “Afterwards I’ll file them with the host of each location but… after everything that happened this morning I haven’t had the time to file them.”

Akira sighed as he realised at this point he was causing more work to be heaped upon Makoto’s shoulders, and that’s ignoring the fact that at this point she was also investigating Rem and the others.

Cybele urged him to continue in lightening Makoto’s load.

Akira silently argued that it’d give her more time than normal for her to blackmail them.

His head burst into a migraine causing him to slowly massage his temples as Cybele decided to be petty and wreak havoc on his mind.

Damn Phrygian Goddess…

“I’ll fill them out and file them…” Akira said causing the three other student council members to look at him in states of surprise.

“B-But Kurusu-san, you already have so much paperwork to fill out!” Azusa reminded gently but shyly, tittering in her chair as she stared at the daunting pile of paperwork before Akira.

“I have this period to fill some of them out,” Akira pointed out. One good thing about being on the Student Council was that council duties superseded priority over normal lessons and the teachers didn’t complain so long as he kept on top of his grades.

Considering he was still first throughout the second-years, the teachers weren’t all that caring if he skipped a few classes to file some paperwork.

“Even so, you’re already filling out the second-year documents in triplicate. It would be remiss to add more to your workload. As it is, you share a balanced portion of the council’s work between yourself and Niijima-san,” Suzune stated but an undercurrent of concern lacing her words even though her face never seemed to leave its stoic disposition. “Additionally, it would take time to contact each host and ensure their cooperation.”

“They’re right Akira-san,” Makoto declined diplomatically even though the prospects of delegating the task to another student council member did hold its appeal.

Unfortunately for them, Cybele was a stubborn, if fickle, goddess. Akira didn’t allow the internal wince that he allowed to form in his mind to express itself on his face as the migraine intensified. With a small thought, he swatted Cybele back into his sea of souls before turning his attention to Makoto.

“How about we call these reparations for this morning?” Akira offered, wincing internally once more as Cybele forced herself back to the forefront within seconds, his head pulsing shortly with pain before dulling into an aching throb.

Both Suzune and Azusa looked at Makoto curiously waiting for her decision.

“Very well,” Makoto eventually relented under the gaze of her treasurer, secretary and vice-president. “But if it becomes too much I fully expect you to at least split them with me should it become necessary,” she said as she slid the papers over to him, only letting go when he nodded.

“I will.”

Akira let out a quiet sigh of relief as Cybele cheered happily, the migraine that pulsed in his head vanishing like winter snow basked in the warm rays of the sun.

Makoto let out an aggrieved but relieved sigh. “We should get through our paperwork while we still have time now and during the first period. Perhaps the second period if need be for you, Akira-san.”

The three council members nodded.

Suzune continued once more through the paperwork she’d been working on since before Akira had arrived while Azusa began organising student documents along with the weekly paperwork for the first years. Makoto began to sort and file the student/teacher requests, small sounds of irritation emanating from her throat as she realised from her brief skimming of the pile that most of them were simply inane requests for Akira to cook.

Akira began to look through the second set of forms that Makoto had slid over to him and looking at the locations and hosts of each field trip location. His quick skimming of each form ceased momentarily as he came across a certain document form in the latter portion of the paperwork.

Host: Shinichi Yoshizawa

Location: Good Morning Japan

Social Studies Type: Television Station

Akira couldn’t help but think of the ludicrously low chances that Shinichi just so happened to be the host of the tv station that he’d eventually end up going to. He recalled back in his old reality the field trip study had been hosted by a particularly weak-willed PR lady who’d bent to the whims of a newscaster.

He couldn’t help but shake his head and allow a small chuckle to leave his lips even as it drew strange looks from the three girls around him. Lavenza had said that there would be small variables that would change but would have little impact on preventing ruin.

Akira found the coincidence amusing.

Suddenly he was filled with an inexplicable feeling of dread as realised Shinichi would probably know in three days time maximum about the video circulating online.

Wonderful.

Akira shook his head, removing the dregs of dread that filled his soul and began to fill out the form, setting a small reminder to file the forms after school.

“Really?”

Akira looked up as Makoto held up two pieces of papers, two student request forms as she stared both Suzune and Azusa down.

The both of them ducked their heads in embarrassment, even the normally stoic Suzune’s face flushed red as they’d both been caught red-handed requesting for curry.

* * *

“Hey, Rem?” Ryuji asked as he sat down beside her during lunch, sitting on Akira’s desk, said teen having been announced as busy with student council work for both first and second period by Miss Kawakami and Doctor Maruki as teachers for both periods.

“Yes?” Rem asked as she slurped down a bowl of instant ramen, the heavy rain outside making it perfect for a hot meal. Since there wasn’t anything left in the school shop and the cafeteria was packed at the moment, she’d chosen instead to but an instant pack of ramen form the vending machine and nab some hot water from the cafeteria before returning to her classroom.

She did have some yakisoba bread that she’d bought in the morning but that was Morgana’s lunch which he was currently going to town on in the underside of her desk next to her textbooks.

“Well, I was wonderin’,” Ryuji said before pausing to consider his words. “Well, remember how on Saturday Mishima and I were talkin’ about the whole maid thingy?”

Rem paused for a moment from her meal to stare at Ryuji slowly, “Are you sure you want to continue this?” she asked carefully. She wasn’t exactly building with temper or anything but she didn’t want to cause a scene with how she tended to do so normally.

Ryuji just raised his hands in surrender. “Just curious is all,” he defended and only lowered his hands as Rem continued her meal. “It’s just I remember you snatchin’ that paper from Mishima’s hands when he invited you so just curious what you ended up doin’ with it,” he said as he took Akira’s chair, flipped it around before plopping himself down.

Rem shrugged, “I think it’s sitting somewhere in my room on my desk.”

“Huh…” Ryuji let out, “Thought you would’ve thrown it out or somethin’.”

“She was too angry at the time to do anything other than pace around,” Morgana piped up, breadcrumbs and remnants of the yakisoba pan evident around his mouth and whiskers which Rem wiped off with a tissue.

Ryuji was about to say something but was cut-off as the three overheard two students nearby talking.

“Did you see Madarame’s press conference?”

“You mean that guy who was all like, ‘How could I possibly… apologize for what I’ve done… Ahhh…”?”

“Think it was really those Phantom Thieves? You know, the whole stealing your heart thing?”

“That… There’s no way. But then again… it seems too convenient for it all just to be a coincidence.”

Ryuji let out a quiet whoop of joy from his place at the desk but made sure it was quiet enough that it wouldn’t be noticeable.

“How’s it going? Have you found out next big target?”

Not that it mattered since S.S.ANN bulldozed through and basically announced that they were doing something shady. She recoiled at the two urgent glares before realising what she’d done, covering her mouth and looking around to see if anyone had heard.

Another good thing about Rem’s status was that everyone was content to ignore her so long as they knew where she was.

“Keep it down would you,” Ryuji whispered.

“Sorry,” Ann apologised with a sheepish smile.

“Besides I thought we agreed yesterday that we’d be laying low for a bit?” Ryuji asked to which Ann slumped in her desk on the other side of Rem who was still dutifully making her way through her instant ramen.

“I know… it’s just, I guess I’m a bit antsy after both Madarame’s and Kamoshida’s Palace,” Ann said as she leant her body against the backrest of her chair. “It’s beginning to feel weird being outside of the metaverse.”

Rem understood what Ann meant. It felt odd being a normal human when she was slowly getting used to fighting shadows in the metaverse. Not having Selina or any other Persona whispering in her ear while she was out here in reality.

“We’ll head into the Metaverse after the social studies trip,” Rem stated as she finished off her ramen, setting the now empty container on her desk to be disposed of later.

“Oh yeah, what did you two end up choosing?” Ann asked curiously. “I chose the TV station.”

Rem shrugged. “I was just going to wait and see what you two chose before picking so I wouldn’t be bored,” she replied simply as she reclined in her chair, a hand winding its way beneath Morgana’s chin to scratch gently.

Morgana hummed in contentment, his belly full and his chin getting scratches.

“That’s kinda smart actually,” Ann admitted before turning to Ryuji, “What did you choose?”

Ryuji grunted as he flopped over the desk. “I dunno, I was plannin’ on just ditchin’ it,” he shrugged.

Rem’s free hand bopped the back of Ryuji’s head since he was in easy reach, “No ditching school activities. We’re trying to lay low, not draw attention to ourselves by being delinquents,” she scolded lightly.

“Yes mom,” Ryuji groaned, his voice muffled since his face was burying itself in the varnished wood of Akira’s desk.

“Well if you don’t have anywhere to go and Rem’s just waiting for us, why don’t we all go with the TV station?” Ann asked, more than excited at the prospect. “I heard we’re gonna get to watch them tape a show! Maybe there’ll be actresses there!” Ann slowly began to lose herself in her imagination.

Morgana peeked out from his chin scratches to look at Ryuji. “I’m surprised you’re not saying anything like wanting to go now to see the actresses,” Morgana jabbed good-naturedly.

Ryuji just grunted from his place buried in the desk. “What’s the point? I like livin’ thanks,” he retorted, Rem feeling as if he was talking about her but she let it slide.

“Oh, that’s right did either of you see the video that’s circulating online?” Ann asked causing Rem and Ryuji to look at her in confusion.

“What’re ya goin’ on about?” Ryuji asked, crossing his arms before letting his chin rest in the crook between them. Ann didn’t say anything but rather pulled out her phone and rapidly began typing, scrolling through before presenting a video to Rem and Ryuji.

“What the heck? Ain’t this that Kurusu guy?” Ryuji asked as he took Ann’s phone to get a better look, moving closer to Rem so they both could see it.

Rem watched as someone filmed Akira protecting Sumire, the red-haired gymnast who she’d recently became friends with, from a middle-aged man. Akira had a hand grasped tightly around the middle-aged man’s wrist and judging from how Sumire was clutching onto his blazer jacket, Akira had stepped in from preventing anything untoward from happening to her.

“H-Huh? Wh-Who the hell are you?” the man seemed to yelp as Akira’s grip tightened, Rem able to see the bones in his wrist rubbing against each other.

“I’m a student at Shujin as well,” a deadly smile blossomed on Akira’s face as he spoke, “I’m _more_ than happy to talk if you’d like.”

The man tried to wrench himself free from the tight grasp Akira had on him to no avail. “Dammit, no need to get worked up! Just being friendly!” he near shouted, at this point whoever has been recording seemed to move closer in order to get a better view.

Both Rem and Ryuji watched as Akira’s smiled dipped into a dangerous scowl. “The last person that was being ‘friendly’ to a girl from Shujin, raped her,” he whispered harshly but loud enough that it was captured on video, “We’ve had enough with paedophiles like you.”

The moment he’d finished speaking he threw the man backwards, sending him sprawling to the ground.

“Daaaayuuuum,” Ryuji let out, a small grin on his face. “Dude’s got some guts to do that.”

Rem had to agree. Then again, she was slowly beginning to realise that Akira had more confidence and guts than the entire school, but was also likely missing half of his impulse control.

“There’s still more,” Ann shook her head as she inclined her head towards the phone. The two of them looked back at the phone, Ryuji lowering it a bit so Morgana could watch as well.

“Tch, bloody brat!”

A sharp flash of pain echoed through Rem’s mind. Memories of a dark evening in the alleyways of Kuoh and a woman screaming for help erupting in her mind.

She quickly shook it away as she looked back at the video.

The man had gotten up and was in the middle of swinging his fist to the back of Akira’s head, the teen turned around unknowing as he looked over Sumire.

“What the eff?” Ryuji yelped as they watched the man’s fist inch closer and closer.

It never met its mark as Akira seemed to know it was coming, swerving around the strike before grabbing the man’s arm in a tight grip and pulling him close. Akira’s head reeled back before slamming forward in a solid headbutt, his forehead slamming none too gentle against the man’s mouth.

The man swayed for a moment and stumbled before collapsing bonelessly to the ground clutching his bleeding mouth.

“I-I’ll sue, you damn brat!”

Those words shot lances of pain through Rem’s head, memories trying to force themselves to the forefront of her mind. Reminders of when she’d been arrested. She tried to latch onto them, to try and remember the face of the man who’d sued her but those memories disappeared like wisps of mist in the wind.

“Go for it.”  
  
Rem watched as Akira dared the man to do so.

“You tried to assault me in broad daylight in the middle of public in an area full of CCTV cameras,” Akira said as he stared the man on the floor down. “It’ll be more than obvious that it’s a case of self-defence…”

The dangerously saccharine smile from earlier returned with full-force. “I’m sure the police down at the Shibuya Precinct would _love_ to see the footage of how you tried to sexually harass a student from the same school their daughters go to,” he said in a pleasant manner.

The man was quick to scramble off the floor and around Akira and Sumire before ambling down the stairs leading into Shibuya station. The video stopped soon after.

“When did that happen?” Rem asked curiously as Ryuji handed Ann her phone back.

“No one’s sure since they’re both wearing their normal school blazers,” Ann shrugged. “But get this, it’s been going around online. People are starting to think of him as the face of Shujin.”

Ann showed the numerous comments that were posted below the video, many of them trying to figure out who Akira was.

“Well it’s a shit-ton better than being remembered as the school with Kamoshida,” Ryuji muttered with a deprecating snort at the thought of their rapist of a PE teacher.

“That’s not all,” Ann shook her head as she scrolled through and showing some photos that caused Rem’s heart to stop and Ryuji and Morgana to gasp sharply.

There were photos of Akira holding onto the top of the school rooftop fence, his other hand holding Shiho in his grasp as she dangled from his grip. Another photo of Akira and Shiho in freefall, him hugging her to his chest as he stayed on the bottom. One of them impacting the ground, and a final one with both him and Shiho being brought into the ambulances, Ann and Sumire with them.

“It seems someone was able to get photos and posted them. People online know about him saving Shiho,” Ann said, small tears forming in the corner of her eyes as Rem and Ryuji looked at her in worry.

Ryuji was the one to get up and give Ann a one-armed hug. “Hey, how’s Shiho handlin’ all this?” he asked with concern.

“She’s handling it well…” Ann gave a small but shook her head while wiping the small tear droplets away. “No one posted the details. I don’t think anyone wanted to anything more to her… they just wanted to show that this wasn’t the first time Kurusu-kun did this.”

“I’m glad to hear she’s doing okay…” Morgana murmured quietly so only they could hear him. “How’s her recovery?” he asked to which Ann gave a much happier smile.

“When last I checked the doctors said she’d be fully recovered in a few more weeks,” Ann smiled. “Because of Kurusu-kun, her therapy wasn’t difficult but… she still won’t be returning to Shujin.”

“I don’t blame her…” Rem shook her head empathetically. “This place must have some difficult memories for her.”

“Yeah…” Ann nodded before shaking her head, “But enough about that… Kurusu-kun’s slowly becoming the talk of the school between this and the curry he made. He’s just behind any talk about the Phantom Thieves!” she said, bringing levity back into the group.

“Damn, don’t remind me,” Ryuji groaned, a small line of drool escaping his lip before Rem handed him a tissue which he used to wipe it away. “Pretty sure I died and went to heaven eatin’ that thing,” Ryuji chuckled, “I even put in a request to see if he could make some for the next event.”

Rem and Ann looked at him strangely.

“What? I can hope, can’t I?” Ryuji defended himself.

“So you’re one of the people who submitted those requests?” a voice asked from behind him so suddenly, the suddenness cause Ryuji to yelp and turn around to find Akira standing behind him, a large pile of papers carried in both hands.

“Mind if I put these down?” Akira asked as he hefted the stack of papers.

“Shit, my bad,” Ryuji scrambled out of the seat and allowing the frizzy-haired vice-president to set the stack of papers down with a heavy thud, the steel legs of his desk squeaking slightly under the weight.

“That’s… a lot of papers…” Rem stated obviously as she stared at the daunting stack of what she assumed was paperwork.

“Yeah,” Akira nodded as he placed his shoulder-bag on the hook on the side of his desk to allow it to hang and placing his umbrella on the floor beside him.

“What the heck is that even for?” Ryuji scratched the back of his head as he asked.

“Second-year forms that need to be filed for the social studies trip in triplicate,” Akira shrugged, winding his shoulder as if it hurt.

“All that’s for us?” Ann stared at the mind-bogglingly large stack.

“Heh, no,” Akira shook his head. “This is actually just what’s remaining. I finished two-thirds of it during the first and second period,” he smiled.

“Damn… being on the student council sounds like a pain,” Ryuji mumbled earning him a wry grin.

“Don’t I know it?”

Rem stared at Akira feeling as if there was something wrong with him. Not in the way he spoke but… the clothes he wore.

Then it clicked.

It was the same thing that happened with Ryuji.

“Why are you still wearing your winter uniform?” Rem asked as she nodded towards the black Shujin blazer he was wearing causing the teen to re-examine himself before looking at the three who were in their summer uniforms.

“Ah, I was wondering why I was getting looks on the way here,” the black-haired teen shook his head as he shucked off his blazer before folding it and placing inside his shoulder bag neatly.

“I don’t know if it’s because of that or the video…” Ann murmured, her words causing Akira to freeze then hang his head.

“Ah… you all saw the video then?” Akira asked with a strained smile.

The three nodded.

“Found out about that this morning… Makoto-senpai really tore into me,” Akira chuckled lightly while scratching the back of his head.

“Dude, how do you even get into situations like that?” Ryuji asked to which the teen shrugged.

“Dumb luck I suppose,” he said but looked around for a moment. “Actually, while you three are here do you mind filling out which location you want to go to and your name?” Akira asked as he swiped three blank forms and handed it out to them.

The three nodded, each taking a form and a proffered pen or in Rem’s case, taking the one Morgana handed to her from the underside of her desk, and filled out the form. They handed it back before Akira quickly looked it over.

“You all chose the TV station huh?” Akira looked at the three of them who all nodded.

“Do you know which TV station we’re going to?” Ann asked curiously, and the only one of the three even remotely excited.

“The tv station for the social studies trip is Good Morning Japan in the 97 Building in Shibuya,” Akira answered earning an excited gasp from Ann, an exasperated groan from Ryuji.

Rem was indifferent on the matter.

**_~Ding Dong~_ **

The four froze as the bell rang signalling the end of the first break and the beginning of the third period.

“Ah damn, I gotta go. See you two later!” Ryuji swore before he was bolting out of the room for his own class. Rem and Ann watched as he left before settling in their seats for the next class of Social Studies.

If Rem had looked behind her she would’ve noticed a conflicted expression flicker across Akira’s face for a moment as he stared at the classroom door before it disappeared, the teen similarly readying himself for the next class.

* * *

Looking at the heavy rain pouring down from the sky, Akira was really glad he’d decided to finish the paperwork at school and filed it already rather than attempting to bring it home. He would’ve had to let loose in Mementos with Megidolaons if he had to fill out all those damn forms again.

With umbrella in hand since he’d had the foresight to look at the weather app on his phone, he made his way to the front entrance. He paused momentarily as he noticed a familiar figure standing on the steps of the front entrance beneath the metal awning, a head of silky red hair and red eyes looking up at the sky forlornly.

“Forget your umbrella?” Akira asked Sumire as he approached her from behind only to startle her with a jump. One of Akira’s arms immediately lashed out as her jump caused her footing to slip and her to stumble only to be stopped as he pulled her close.

“S-Senpai!” Sumire squeaked as he let her go, red eyes looking up at him in surprise.

“Yes, that’s me,” Akira smirked.

“I-I didn’t see you there,” she said with a slight stutter as she got her heart under control from the sudden jump scare.

“Sorry about that,” Akira apologised shamelessly before returning back to the topic at hand. “But you forgot your umbrella, didn’t you?” he asked once more, Sumire nodding downcast as she looked at the heavy rain pouring down.

“I left it at home since I thought it wouldn’t be raining today,” she murmured.

“You can have mine then,” Akira offered out his one to her causing Sumire to look at him in surprise. Her red eyes narrowed, however.

“Senpai, the last time you tried that you almost got sick,” she scolded lightly causing Akira to chuckle.

“I’ll be fine. It’s not the worst thing that’s happened to me,” Akira shook his head, once more offering the umbrella.

Sumire reluctantly accepted the umbrella, this being the long ones she lifted it up before opening it. However, rather than moving into the rain she instead moved closer to Akira, moving the umbrella so it was just shy over his head.

“There, we can share it this time,” Sumire stated with a stubborn look in her eyes.

A mirthful chuckle escaped Akira as he shook his head, a hand gently prying it from her hand. “If we do that maybe I should carry it,” Akira said, “I rather like my eyes not being poked out by my own umbrella.”

Sumire was more than happy to allow Akira to hold the umbrella, moving close to his side as he lifted it above him and well above her, shielding them from the oncoming rain. “Shall we?” Akira asked as he nodded forward, Sumire giving a happy nod as the two began to make their way towards the station.

“How’d your gymnastics meet go today?” Akira asked curiously as they took shelter beneath he large umbrella, heavy rain pelting the top but thankfully no wind was sending water their way.

“It was okay,” Sumire hummed, “It was mainly practice and discussion about the prelims.”

“The competition?” Akira rose a brow as he tried to remember. He wasn’t exactly the most well-versed person regarding gymnastics.

“Mhmm,” Sumire nodded as the two walked side-by-side, “Two huge competitions are coming up. One at the beginning of summer and one at the end.”

“Don’t you have to be selected by your club to participate?” Akira asked, vaguely recalling something about club representative’s when Azusa was fist showing him the ropes of the student council.

“That’s right,” Sumire nodded. Akira noted that she didn’t seem as shy when she was talking about her passion for gymnastics. “I have to be selected as my club’s representative if I want to participate in the prelims, and to do that there’s a qualifier meet I need to win.”

Akira nodded along. “I’ll cheer you on,” Akira smiled at her, “You’re already great as you are and there’s a lot of people that believe you can do it, myself included. Just keep your head up and believe in yourself and you and Kasumi will be at the top.”

Sumire looked at him momentarily stunned before her lips morphed into a smile. “You’re right senpai. It’s like you said,” Sumire nodded, a new confidence springing her forward, “If I’m better than the me of yesterday, then that’s an achievement. If I keep doing that I’ll be able to participate in the prelims.”

“You remembered,” Akira looked at Sumire who gave him a dazzling smile.

“Of course, it’s the best advice you ever gave me,” Sumire giggled.

For a strange moment… Akira felt his heart skip a beat.

“Oh,” Sumire let out looking ahead causing Akira to do the same and notice the station looming ahead. “We’re already at the station…” she said in an almost disappointed manner. In a few moments, the two were just in front of the ticket gates, Akira closing his umbrella and shaking it free of any loose droplets of rain.

“You sure you don’t want to continue borrowing my umbrella?” Akira asked, double-checking only for Sumire to shake her head with a smile.

“That’s okay, Senpai,” Sumire shook her head, crimson tresses swaying behind her. “Knowing you, if I take it you’ll try running in the rain and get sick,” she smiled, her words causing Akira to dramatically clutch at his chest, miming being stabbed in the heart.

“The truth of your words is hurtful,” Akira gasped earning him a giggle.

“Hey, isn’t that Yoshizawa?”

“And isn’t that the Vice-President of the school council?”

Sumire stopped giggling as they both overheard two Shujin student talk about them.

“She gets VIP treatment at school AND a nice boyfriend like him?” the female of the two asked offended, “Princess sure is livin’ on easy street…”

“B-Boyfriend?” Sumire stammered with a red flush as she watched the two leave.

Akira realised she’d probably hadn’t seen the video yet and he wasn’t exactly feeling like he should be the one to tell her. He’d leave that up to Shinichi. It didn’t stop the tinge of something he felt stir in his chest.

“Don’t worry about what they think of you,” Akira advised, bringing Sumire’s attention back to him.

“Y-You’re right, Senpai,” Sumire nodded as she psyched herself up, trying to regain the confidence she’d had in the last few minutes. “It’s… just sometimes hard because others are wary of me as an honour student… and the school is also expecting me to attain strong results in the prelims.”

Akira gave her a comforting smile and a nod, “Well, if anyone can do it, you can.”

Sumire seemed to grow taller as her confidence fully returned.

**_Ring-a-ling_ **

The moment was broken by the sound of a ringtone echoing from Sumire’s pocket resulting in her withdrawing her phone to look at who was calling. “Oh, sorry, my father’s calling,” Sumire apologised as she answered the call and brought the phone to her ear.

“Hi, dad! Hmm? No, it’s okay, I’m at the station now,” Sumire responded over the phone before pausing and looking at Akira, “Um, yes. He’s right in front of me, why?”

Akira felt his heart drop as Sumire looked at her phone in confusion before bringing it back to her ear. “Okay, I’ll give you to him,” she nodded before removing the phone from her ear and extending it to Akira.

Sumire smiled as she offered the phone to him, “My father wants to talk to you, he seems really eager.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, here’s the AO3 link for a fantastic story known as Retribution of the Trickster by Asphaow but call him Chadzura since that’s his name.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24405181/chapters/58872412
> 
> Check it out, great story!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeet! Here we are with chapter 28 folks!  
> Woot, first on comments as well now in the Yoshizawa Kasumi | Sumire Archive. Coming for your top spot Cyber-Violet Violition. Never really thought I'd make it this far, on my first chapter I even said I'd be surprised if I made it to three chapters and here I am with twenty-eight. TO all the readers, you're awesome!

Akira looked over the abundance of paperwork sent in by the student body that covered the primary table of the student council room. Outside, the rain pelted against the glass windows, droplets of water trickling down the panes of glass only adding to the daunting atmosphere that engulfed the room.

“This… is quite the predicament,” Akira heard Suzune mutter which only caused him to scoff lightly at the understatement. The amount of forms that had flooded them was frankly ludicrous following the posting on the school noticeboard by Principal Kobayakawa.

“No kidding,” Akira murmured as he began to sort through the paperwork, the whole thing made difficult since nearly all of them were sent in anonymously via the student request box. Even with Azusa’s help, making heads or tails of the requests and pleas sent in was a difficult task.

“W-what?”

Akira and Suzune looked at Azusa curiously, the chestnut-haired girl gripping onto a piece of paper, reading through its contents with wide and worried eyes. “Nakajou-san, is something the matter?” Suzune queried, blue tresses falling as she cocked her head to the side slightly.

Azusa didn’t say anything but merely extended the piece of paper in her hand to Akira who took it before she sat quietly in her chair. Akira gave her a brief look of concern before shaking his head and began to read through the contents of the paper. An internal brow rose as he quickly realised exactly what most of these were likely going to be about.

The drug cartel in Shibuya being run by Kaneshiro and his mafia. Students of Shujin were already being blackmailed and hounded by his goons for more tasks and money.

The door to the room opened and closed quickly, admitting a haggard-looking Makoto.

“Niijima-san, what was the meaning of the posting on the first-floor noticeboard?” was the first thing that left Suzune’s mouth the moment the student president was five feet away from the main table.

Makoto’s response was to let out a heavy grimace as she surveyed the burdened table buried beneath mounds of requests. “Principal Kobayakawa placed it without my permission-” Makoto began but didn’t get far in the way of her explanation as Suzune shook her head.

“We’re receiving anonymous information both by word-of-mouth and through the student request box,” Suzune informed her, already moving away from the motive behind it and onto the matter at hand. The blue-haired treasurer picked up a scrap of paper with writing scrawled along its surface and began to read it aloud.

“'I heard some students are getting threatened. I’m so scared… Please do something,’” Suzune reiterated its contents.

“What?!” Makoto recoiled shocked, her genuine response causing Akira to realise something.

The purpose of the notice placed up by Principal Kobayakawa about any information from the student body had likely been about the Phantom Thieves as Makoto had once admitted that he was searching for information around this time. It just so happened that students were also being blackmailed by Kaneshiro, and because of that, it was what caused the influx of pleas for help.

And what would likely send Makoto after Kaneshiro himself.

Akira was thankful that Cybele didn’t seem all that concerned, only a light presence in his mind. “That’s not all,” Akira added to the conversation as he waved that paper in his hand to get Makoto’s attention.

“'They have dirt on me, and they’re demanding money. I can’t go to the police… What should I do?’” Akira read the paper aloud, Azusa beside him wringing her hands nervously.

“Th-They’re talking about the crimes that have been rumoured to be happening in Shibuya, aren’t they?” Azusa asked hesitantly, green eyes looking around for confirmation.

“The likelihood is high and judging from these anonymous pleas, there are victims of such crimes attending Shujin,” Suzune summarized succinctly but a light grimace marred her face as she continued with a heavy tone, “However, these are not duties that the Student Council are able to assist with. While we must help out fellow peers, doing so… would have consequences…”

A silence befell the room.

“Niijima-san, Principal Kobayakawa called you into his office yesterday. Were you informed of this?” Suzune broached quietly.

Her words broke Makoto from her reverie, startling her into a response. “N-No, he didn’t tell me at all,” she stammered before closing her eyes, a heavy and invisible weight falling onto her shoulders. “He’s out today, but I’ll ask him tomorrow. Would you all be able to wait on this for the time being…?” the red-eyed third year looked around.

“I-If you say so…” Azusa nodded, but the other three members could tell how much this was affecting her with how her hands were clenching at her skirt.

“We shall leave it to you, for the time being, Niijima-san,” Suzune nodded before exhaling heavily, the only thing showing the agitation roiling within her.

Akira similarly sighed but more because he knew what the end result of all this would be. “I’ll leave it to you as well, but I won’t be able to assist with anything tomorrow or the day after,” he warned Makoto. “I’m tied up as it is getting the final points of the field trip study locations set up, and needless to say about the two days of the field trip itself.”

Makoto let out a heavy sigh but nonetheless nodded in understanding. “I understand Akira-san… if need be I’ll let you know of what I can find after the social studies trip,” she said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to fix all of this,” Makoto assured them even though it meant shouldering even more.

With their pieces said, the student council was quick to sort through the forms and organise them off to the side for viewing when they next reconvened. After everything was done, the four went their separate ways, with Akira staying behind in the student council room while the other three went to their respective classes.

….

“Dammit…” Akira cursed as he shut his eyes, hating himself for being unable to do something. It was like a roiling itch, he wanted to just make his way into Kaneshiro’s Palace and steal his treasure.

He’d still be staying right by the game since it was never specified that Rem had to steal his heart… but if he did that, then she and the others wouldn’t grow. A soft growl of irritation left his lips as Cybele in one of her late rare moments of empathy sent a small wave of Dia flowing through his body, easing the forming headache that for once wasn’t being caused by his persona.

Fine.

If he was going to play right by the game, he’d make sure someone could run interference for now. He was many things, and the student council vice-president was only one of them. He’d be damned if Makoto had to handle more grief just because he sat back.

He was already pulling out his phone, thumb pressing forcefully against a name in his contact list before bringing it up to his ears.

“Been a while Kurusu-san, I was beginning to think you’d finished your use for us,” a smooth but also gravelly voice came from across the connection. “What can I help you with?”

“How much would it cost for you to run interference with Junya Kaneshiro and his mafia? They’re being a nuisance with school,” Akira smoothly went straight for his request, silence reigning over the line for a moment.

“Do I wanna know why you’re suddenly going against him? I thought you and he were- no. Never mind,” Tsuda cut himself, his words causing Akira to quirk a brow in confusion. “Ever since he took over though he’s been playing low, the family won’t be happy if we go against him but I can make them look the other way.”

Akira nodded. “Good, how much?” he asked unworried about whatever amount Tsuda could have demanded. After three years of brainwashing Shadows along with Jose’s ability to rewrite Mementos to suit Akira’s needs, Akira could be labelled a billionaire if people were willing to not question how he’d gotten so much yen.

“Nothing, I want a favour in return.”

Tsuda’s voice was dead-serious.

“That… would depend,” Akira said in slow consideration. “What do you want?”

“…Someone in the family is trying to go behind my back. Trying to re-open up that deal with the Hong Kong mafia that I told you about,” Tsuda said.

Akira knew who he was likely talking about. Masa or something or the other, that blonde dude that tried holding up Kaoru. He was already accepting before Attis could finish making his way into his mind. The Phrygian/Greek god had barely made his way into his mind before Akira had accepted.

“I don’t know who it is, all I know is they’re going after an ex-lieutenant. I have a feeling it might be one of my boys but I don’t know for sure-”

“I’ll do it. What do you need me to do,” Akira cut him off, accepting the deal.

Tsuda gave a brief pause.

“Just be ready. Don’t know when I’ll find out but I want you there, got me? You do this for me and I’ll have the family keep the mafia off your Shujin brats,” Tsuda offered in exchange.

Attis gave a disembodied smile.

“Deal,” Akira accepted. Just as he was about to cut the connection, Tsuda spoke up again.

“Kurusu.”

Akira halted, his finger hovering over the red button that would disconnect the call.

“I went against the code… I know I told you if you needed shit from me, you’d get it,” Tsuda said before pausing, Akira waiting patiently for him to continue. “But the guy that this traitor is going after, he’s an old buddy of mine. Can’t let that shit slide.”

Akira gave a small smirk. Attis nodding in approval while Cybele rolled her eyes at her past love-interest. It seems some changes had been for the better.

“Iwai’s a good man.”

“Heh… course you fuckin’ knew who I was talking about,” Tsuda huffed in amusement. “After this, I’ll owe you a favour. I broke the code, and I intend to make up for that.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Akira said seriously.

Akira could faintly make out a rustle from Tsuda’s side of the connection, likely him nodding his head. “You do that. I’ll call you when I need your help. I’ll get ready and begin having my boys hustle the pricks over in Shibuya.”

The connection cut off, Akira’s thumb finally landing on the bright red disconnect bottom before sliding into his pants to deposit his phone. “There… two birds with one stone, you two happy?” Akira murmured aloud, addressing the Ultimates of the Hanged and the Priestess Arcana.

He felt twin nods of confirmation and agreement from both Phrygian Deities, Attis quickly returning to the Seas of Souls away from Cybele while said goddess didn’t make any motion to move.

Allowing a light sigh to leave his lips now that he’d done something to mitigate Makoto’s stress, Akira began to make his way to class.

* * *

Rem gave a light moan of relief as a particularly sore muscle in her shoulder popped loudly, the pain abating from the appendage. Just the day prior she’d gone to Inokashira Park to practice some gymnastics, and while it had gotten her much more flexible and limber it was also surprisingly physically demanding, much more than what she’d expected.

She’d also managed to boost her bond with the Faith Arcana so that had been a nice bonus on top of spending time with the red-headed first-year as they chatted about inane topics once their practice was over.

“Damn, that sounded horrible,” Ryuji winced at the loud pop that emanated from Rem’s shoulder, then even more by the little series of pops and crackles as her vertebrae released air bubbles from between the discs.

“Could you two at least pay attention?” Ann scolded as she herself paid rapt attention to the PR Woman for Good Morning Japan.

Rem and Ryuji both shrugged lazily, not at all enthused about the social studies trip that they were currently attending. Nonetheless, Rem decided to pay at least a modicum of attentiveness to the woman who was simply doing her job for the sixty or so odd students that had chosen the TV station as their social studies location.

“…And that we recruit sponsors to help make TV shows.”

Ryuji leaned over to her while the woman continued on. “Please tell me it isn’t just me who thinks this is borin’ as hell,” he pleaded. While Rem wasn’t one to normally agree, the TV station was just about the most boring place to be so Rem quietly nodded.

“I’m sure you know about commercial breaks? Well, those are actually sponsor-related product placements,” the PR woman continued speaking. “To sum things up, ratings are vitally important for a station’s production funding, and…”

“Oh, dear god, someone kill me now…” Ryuji murmured as he hung his head in resignation at the continuing infodump of things they already knew.

Rem looked at Ann who was still keeping rapt attention somehow on the woman.

At least one of them was interested.

The PR woman kept on continuing her explanation of the intricacies and details of the TV station’s daily schedule for another half hour. “For example, soap operas reruns are shown in the day whereas alluring newswomen are broadcast at night. Thus, the scheduling department is where we decide what time we broadcast which program,” the woman said monotonously to which it was slowly becoming apparent that this was likely recited.

It was also at this time that Ann seemed to lose her enthusiasm. “Could this get any more obvious?” the blonde-haired girl muttered in disappointment.

Rem was slowly pondering if she could upbraid her hair and let it hang free so she could hide some earphones to listen to some music rather than the PR woman.

“So, the best parts are taken from the footage in order to cut down the program to the desired length,” the lady continued, “The place where this filmed footage is edited would be the editing room.”

That was it.

Rem reached into her pocket and began to pull out her phone and earphones, untangling them as she did so.

“You’re finally givin’ up, huh?” Ryuji muttered as he watched Rem with more interest than the PR spokesperson, “I don’t blame you… I swear, I’m not gonna last…” he said with a yawn.

Rem felt Morgana rustle in her bag. “How much longer does this go for…?” Morgana asked curiously, having been cooped up for the last hour now. Rem looked at her phone’s clock.

9:15

Rem felt her soul leave her body.

Another seven hours to go before they were finished for the day.

“Ah, excuse me, young lady,” a mature voice said from behind her causing her to turn around in surprise, coming face to face with a middle-aged man with black hair swept back and crimson red eyes, all while wearing a form-fitting beige suit. “Sorry, may I cut through?” the man asked pleasantly, a fatherly tone to his voice.

Rem didn’t say anything but rather nodded, moving to the side and allowing him passage. The four watched as the most interesting person in the last hour walked up to the PR woman.

“Would you please move the Shujin students for now? We’re going to begin setting up for the interview soon,” the man asked pleasantly but firmly, the woman quickly nodding.

“Of course!” the woman said before turning to the group of Shujin students. “I’m afraid I’ll have to hold off for the moment since we’re currently undergoing some cosmetic changes for the studio set, but not to worry! This just means we can begin on some hands-on experience!” the PR woman announced cheerily while the man returned from when he came, moving further into the television station.

The group of Shujin students were quickly split off into different groups.

Rem rose a brow as she noticed a familiar head of frizzy-hair move to the side of the black-haired man, joining him.

“Mmmm, finally something interesting,” Ann hummed gleefully.

* * *

“It’s good to see you again Akira-kun,” Shinichi said jovially as Akira closed the door to Shinichi’s office behind him.

“It’s good to see you as well Yoshizawa-san,” Akira greeted but was quickly stopped at Shinichi rose a hand.

“Please, Akira-kun. Shinichi is fine,” the middle-aged father of Sumire smiled warmly, “I believe that’s the least I could do after everything you’ve done for my family.”

Akira hesitated for a moment, feeling uniquely out of his depths as all of his Persona stood quietly. “Of course, Shinichi-san,” Akira eventually nodded to which the middle-aged man smiled once more, offering a seat at the four comfortable looking chairs surrounding a coffee table within his rather spacious office.

“Would you like anything to drink? I have water, some juices, sodas…” Shinichi offered as he moved over to a small bar fridge to the side of his office, opening it and revealing its contents to be full of chilled beverages. “I’d offer you cold-brew coffee, however, Sumire’s more than told me about your preferences,” Shinichi said with a chuckle.

“Actually, coffee is fine with me,” Akira allowed a mirthful chuckle to respond in kind, “Life on the student council made me realise I can’t be too picky with caffeine when I’m doing paperwork.”

Shinichi gave a commiserating grin, picking out a glass bottle of chilled coffee and some light grape juice for himself, handing the coffee to Akira before sitting down himself.

“Ah yes, Sumire did tell me about how you joined the Student Council of Shujin. Congratulations,” Shinichi congratulated him, all the while making himself comfortable in the chair.

“Thank you,” Akira inclined his head politely but felt slightly off as he did so, a slight hammering in his chest as he looked at the man opposite him. “I have to ask, isn’t this a bit much? I understand we didn’t get much of a chance to talk over the phone but taking me into your office during the social studies trip?” Akira couldn’t help but ask.

Shinichi just waved it off with a wry grin, “Let’s just call it an abuse of power, shall we?”

Akira grimaced lightly. “Ah, she told you about that did she?” Akira asked as he popped open the lid of his coffee.

Shinichi nodded, a light in his eyes. “I don’t think there isn’t a day that goes by when Sumire doesn’t talk about you…” Sumire’s father said as he did the same with his grape beverage, twisting the lid with his before taking a light sip.

“You’re right, however… this is a bit much…” Shinichi sighed as he placed down his juice onto the table with a light clink of glass meeting wood. “But this was the best time at a moment’s notice that I could find to properly do this.”

Akira looked up just in time to see him stand up and bow deeply, the suddenness of the act causing Akira to still, stunned.

“Thank you, Akira-kun,” Shinichi intoned, his voice full of feeling and gratefulness before he straightened himself, red eyes shining with a deep sense of gratitude. “After all these months I haven’t had the time to properly thank you… it’s because of you that both my daughters are still here.”

Akira slowly placed down his chilled coffee onto the table as small droplets of moisture began to form in the corner of Shinichi’s eyes. “I thank you… for being there for Sumire. She’s smiling brighter these last two months than she has in _years_ , and it’s all because you’re there for her.”

“It makes me ashamed to say it… but neither I nor my wife could see that Sumire was hurting,” the tears began to fall as guilt and shame wracked Shinichi’s words, red eyes closing even as he stood before Akira. “It’s because of you that I can go home every day and know that both my daughters are okay.”

Akira stood up, so that he and Shinichi could look at each other. Red eyes opened once more to look at Akira standing up, grey eyes meeting red. Shinichi looked at Akira for a moment before dipping once more into a deep bow.

“Thank you Akira-kun, truly. From the bottom of my heart,” Shinichi thanked him profusely.

Akira didn’t wave him off as he usually would. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he said truthfully, the hammering in his chest coming full-force as Shinichi stood up to look at him. Akira extended a hand, in his grasp a handkerchief.

Shinichi sent him a smile as he accepted the handkerchief. “You’re a good man, Akira-kun,” he said as he wiped his eyes with the handkerchief, carefully folding the piece of cloth and pocketing it, intending to wash and return it at a later date.

Akira found red orbs staring at him. “Know that you’re always welcome in the Yoshizawa household,” Shinichi said meaningfully, his words making Akira feel like there was a certain significance behind them that he wasn’t understanding.

A smile suddenly bloomed across the older man’s face. “One of these days once Kasumi is fully recovered, you should join my family for dinner,” the man said jovially, the solemn and serious atmosphere lightening with his words. “My wife wants to meet the man Sumire is always talking about.”

And once more Akira felt out of his depths. “I-I’d love to,” he said unsurely for a moment, unable to rescind his words as the smile on Shinichi’s face grew wider.

“Wonderful! I’ll let Momo know, she’ll be ecstatic,” Sumire’s father grinned as he moved over to his chair and sitting down, Akira doing the same.

“Momo?” Akira questioned curiously at the new name. Shinichi only smiled in response.

“Yes,” he hummed in affirmation, “My wife. Her name is Momo. As you can probably tell, she was the one who named Kasumi and Sumire.”

“Prunus perisca, blossom, and violet,” Akira mused, allowing himself to be distracted by the inane conversation rather than future thoughts of dinner at the Yoshizawa household.

Wonderful, now he was thinking about it.

“You’re much more learned about flowers than I’d expected,” Shinichi nodded. “They inherited her hair but my eyes. Sumire’s hair is much closer to her mothers in colour though while Kasumi is a shade darker like mine.”

Akira vaguely recalled that Kasumi had a slightly darker shade of hair compared to Sumire’s during his time in the hospital, but at the time he wasn’t sure if it’d been matted by dried blood or if it was simply her natural hair colour. Suddenly, Akira realised he wasn’t all too sure on Kasumi’s progress.

“How is Kasumi-san, by the way?” Akira asked, “The last I’d heard from Doctor Hisegawa was that she was in therapy. That was back in April and he said she’d have two and a half months to go.”

“How did you-” Shinichi looked at him in confusion before it became dawning understanding. “Ah, Sumire did tell me that you were involved with the incident regarding that girl from your school… and I did see mentions about it online…” he murmured, to himself for the most part before looking back at Akira.

“Kasumi’s recovery is going splendid. Doctor Hisegawa says she’ll be fully recovered come the first week of next month,” Shinichi informed him.

“That’s good to hear,” Akira nodded.

“She’s excited to meet you actually,” he said earning him a look from Akira. “Sumire goes to great lengths to talk about you, so much so that Kasumi and Momo look forward to meeting you. Especially after they saw the video.”

Akira winced. “Ah… heh, I suppose it was a bit much in hoping that would’ve been unnoticed,” Akira gave a beaten chuckle, Shinichi giving a belly-aching laugh that stretched his form-fitting beige suit.

“Of course I knew Akira-kun,” Shinichi beamed, “It was the reason why I’d asked to talk to you from Sumire’s phone. Of course, since it was raining I reconsidered asking.”

The light atmosphere sharpened as red eyes stared at grey sincerely. “That’s another thing I want to thank you for, Akira-kun. You’ve done so much for Sumire. Helped her, protected her, _saved_ her… I want to emphasize that as a father I am indebted to you,” Shinichi informed him .genuinely.

“It’s like I said Shinichi-san, I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” Akira shook his head.

A broad grin stretched Shinichi’s face. “Let’s at least keep the injuries to a minimum yes? You’ve gotten lucky twice, and no one in my family would like to see if the third time’s the charm,” Shinichi rumbled jovially, Akira letting out a small laugh of his own, his shoulder feeling light and his heart no longer hammering in his chest.

“Yes, I’d much like not to keep hearing or seeing you on the news,” a voice drawled, the sound of the door closing causing Akira to halt in his laughter and look at the source of the familiar voice.

“Ah, Akechi-kun! You’re right on time!” Shinichi stood up and greeted the second coming of the detective prince. “I was merely taking the time to thank Akira-kun while he was here.”

“I see…” Goro nodded before looking at Akira, burgundy red sending him a raised brow.

“I told you to take it easy. Just because your skull wasn’t injured doesn’t mean you should try and shatter it against someone else’s,” Goro deadpanned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a shout out to Chadzura's fanfic Retribution of the Trickster
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24405181/chapters/58872412
> 
> And here's a shoutout for Fool's Protection by D1g1taldude
> 
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13591616/1/Fool-s-protection


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with Chapter 29 which is currently being written on a coffee-fuelled craze. Do I still have an assignment I'm slowly working on? Yes I do.
> 
> Will I continue spending my free time writing fanfic? Yes I will.
> 
> COFFEE!!!

“Ah, that was a load of crap,” Ryuji complained as he, Rem, and Ann walked down one of the winding corridors of the TV station, having used the excuse of needing the bathroom to leave the “hands-on experience”.

“At least you weren’t being hit on by the Camera Director,” Ann groused piteously, Ryuji giving her a commiserating wince.

“True…” Ryuji conceded. “All I had to do was untangle those damn cables… surprised Rem didn’t do anythin’ to the guy though,” the dyed-blonde remarked as he looked at their leader.

Rem didn’t say anything.

“Uh… she alright?” Ryuji asked curiously as he looked at the girl whose normally braided hair was untied, raven black hair falling in long strands.

“I think so? She wasn’t paying attention the whole time the Director was… trying to get my number,” Ann grimaced as she recalled the twenty-something-year-old man had been trying to get both of their numbers but Rem had seemingly paid him no mind in a rare change of events.

A black-furred head popped out from over Rem’s shoulder, blue eyes looking at the two blondes before widening as a stray strand of hair tickled his nose causing him to sneeze.

“ _Achoo!”_

Morgana sneezed quietly, shaking his head to remove the strand tickling his nose. “She didn’t say anything because she has her earphones in,” Morgana eventually said, a paw somehow managing to gather a bundle of hair from the left-side of Rem’s face and pulling it back, exposing the earbud that was currently in her ear playing music.

Judging by the fact she had a confused look on her face as she suddenly looked at them quizzically, Ann and Ryuji realised she probably had them in both ears.

“Well, at least that explains why she didn’t go do anything,” Ann shook her head before reaching out and plucking the earbuds out of Rem’s ears.

“And here I was thinkin’ she was lettin’ it slide,” Ryuji murmured.

“Did… I miss something?” Rem asked now that she’d been returned to the land of the hearing, no longer oblivious thanks to her earphones.

“When did you even put those on?” Ann asked while crossing her arms, slightly peeved that even though Rem had been with her the whole time she’d essentially been left by herself.

Said girl just shrugged lackadaisically. “Just a bit after the PR woman said we’d be getting some hands-on experience,” Rem said unbothered at the peeved expression Ann was sending her, rather taking the time to roll her sore shoulders and carefully rewind her earphones so they wouldn’t get tangled in her pocket.

“That was five hours ago!” Ryuji recoiled in surprise, stunned that no one had ever called her out on it. Rem’s response was only to helplessly raise her shoulders and let them fall in a shrug.

“It was getting too boring,” was Rem’s only response as she tucked her phone and earphones away into her skirt pocket.

“We were getting hit on and you didn’t even notice!” Ann scowled lightly, still irritated.

“…We were?”

Ann hung her head at Rem’s obliviousness and apparent lack of care. “Don’t worry Lady Ann, it’s all over now,” Morgana hopped out of the bag and onto Ryuji’s shoulder to console the blonde.

“H-Hey, quit it!” Ryuji whisper-yelled since they were still in the middle of the corridor. “We didn’t even have permission to have you at school, much less in a TV station!” he scolded Morgana who let out a depressed sigh before hopping his way from Ryuji’s shoulder and back over to Rem’s before slinking back into her bookbag, his blue eyes and black muzzle the only thing peeking out.

“Do we have to do more of this tomorrow?” Rem asked with a yawn, rolling the shoulder Morgana had hopped upon and readjusting the strap of her book bag so it was in a more comfortable position.

“Yeah… man, what a pain,” Ryuji groaned. “If it’s this borin’ can we just please skip this?” he pleaded, looking at both Ann and Rem. A hopeful expression wormed its way onto his face as Rem seriously considered flaking on the whole trip.

“No! I’m not going to be here alone,” Ann shook her head vigorously while crossing her arms in the form of an X.

“Why don’t you skip as well?” Ryuji asked.

“Because we’re meant to be keeping a low profile?” Ann reminded him with a huff before sending a glare at Rem. “That’s what YOU said a few days ago. Not to draw attention by being delinquents, remember?”

Rem just sighed with a slight slump while she nodded. “Yeah… guess no jigging tomorrow for us then…”

“Dammit…” Ryuji pouted, a foot kicking at the floor sullenly.

“Oh, you two are acting like children…” Ann moaned sufferingly at their antics. “At least we get to go home straight from here today.”

Both Ryuji and Rem perked up at that.

“Yo… it ain’t like we’re around here often, yeah?” Ryuji said, a small grin breaking across his previously sullen expression, “You two wanna hang around for a bit after this?”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind,” Ann supposed slowly getting into the idea. “I haven’t checked out some of the shops around here for a bit. What do you think?” she asked the black-haired girl who was in the midst of re-braiding her hair.

Rem just shrugged, holding a lock of hair with her chin as she braided her hair as neatly as she could with the limited amount of time she had. “As long as we get some food I don’t mind,” Rem flipped her now-braided hair over her shoulder to hang.

“Ooh, I know a place!” Morgana piped in excitement. “I wanna go to that pancake looking place we passed on the way here! It looked delicious… what do you think they have?”

“Would you believe me if I said pancakes?” Rem asked with a smirk only to get a paw full of toe-beans to the face. “Hey!” she frowned lightly as Morgana ducked into her bag, poking his head back out once he’d deemed it safe enough.

“Wait… pancake-lookin’ place?” Ryuji mumbled, his brows scrunched up in puzzlement. “Oh!” he suddenly shot up, a look of dawning understanding and comprehension on his face as both Rem and Ann looked at him in bewilderment.

“You talkin’ about Dome Town?” he asked with a grin, a fist slamming into an open palm as he asked Morgana. “The round part is some sorta baseball stadium, and they’ve got stuff like an amusement park runnin’ along the outside.”

“Oooooh, I think I’ve heard of it,” Ann gesticulated excitedly, head bobbing up and down. “It’s right in the middle of a business area, but they have some pretty hardcore rides there too.”

Morgana leaned on Rem’s shoulder, using the bottom of Rem’s bag to hold him while using her shoulders to lean and balance on as he looked around, blue eyes gleaming with excitement and determination. “All right… Let’s go! I’ll show you just how courageous I am!”

“You two can take Morgana, I’ll go search for a good place to eat before doing anything there,” Rem waved off, not too thrilled at the prospect of going to an amusement park on an empty stomach.

“Can we please stop talkin’ bout food for a second, you’re makin’ me hungry now,” Ryuji whined.

“You two are like two peas in a pod… like two chopsticks in a ramen bowl…” Ann muttered, sending her two friends a disheartened glance.

“C’mon Ann…” Ryuji grumbled before looking up at Morgana. “’Sides, not like cats can get on amusement rides anyways.”

“Really?” Morgana tilted his head in astonishment.

“I mean, yeah,” Ryuji nodded. “You might be able to sneak in if you stay in Rem’s bag, but you’d totally puke if you did that… actually, on second thought the last time you puked it was in me…” Ryuji paused and realised what had happened the last time Morgana had vomited.

“I’m all for it then,” Rem smirked, suddenly seeming more than eager to go on the ride.

“Wh-What?! I don’t wanna go on any puke-rides now!” Morgana yelped.

“Let’s, uh… Let’s just go to Dome Town yeah? We’ll figure out the plan when we get there,” Ryuji shook his head, speaking up to finalise the day's plan.

“Works for me,” Rem nodded.

“Me too! Ooh, can we get some crepes before going on the roller coasters?” Ann asked with excitement.

“I mean, if you wanna do it, go for it. Sure as heck wouldn’t try it though,” Ryuji scratched the back of his head as he stared at Ann in wonderment, curious if she was really going to go through with it.

“I’m just saying you’ve been drinking enough coffee to kill a normal person through caffeine overdose, the amount you consume can’t be healthy.”

A voice interrupted their conversation from down the hallway, two pairs of footsteps accompanying the voice. The four froze as they quickly realised they’d been standing in the middle of the corridor for well over half an hour at this point.

“Morgana!” Ryuji whispered urgently, the black cat getting the message and swiftly tucking himself into Rem’s bag.

“That’s where you’d be wrong actually,” another voice said, footsteps continuing to echo from down the hallway.

Rem was slightly startled to realised that she recognised the voice.

“Coffee contains several healthy nutrients such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and niacin. All being types of vitamins with the exception of manganese and potassium which are essential minerals,” the second voice defended.

“…I don’t know if that’s true or if you’re just being insufferable,” the first voice said with a tinge of exasperation, the voices sounding much closer.

“Of course it’s true, at least I can say that coffee is healthier than pancakes.”

“You didn’t…” the first voice growled, sounding off from right around the corner.

Two figures rounded the corner, deep in an argument. Rem recognised one of them, something which was quite easy since they were in the same class.

Akira Kurusu was currently in some sort of debate about coffee with another teenage boy with long brown hair and wine-red eyes, seeming to be slightly older than Akira. The teen wore a brown pea-coat, black glove, black slacks, a pair of black oxford shoes, and strangely enough a silver suitcase with the letter A emblazoned across its surface in black.

“Pancakes are not unhealthy compared to- Oh!” the teen got ready to defend pancakes for some reason, seemingly ready to further their debate before both he and Akira had taken notice of the three of them.

“Oh, my apologies, I didn’t see you there,” the teen apologised, a pleasant demeanour washing across his face as he addressed them.

“Yo,” Akira waved in acknowledgement, looking strange without his school blazer. “Rem, Takamaki-san, Sakamoto-san,” he greeted casually compared to the brown-haired teen beside him.

“Oh, you know them Akira?” the brown-haired teen asked in surprise before looking back at them analytically, specifically at Ryuji’s pants along with Ann’s and Rem’s skirts. “Ah, you three are students of Shujin Academy then, I presume?”

“Uh, yeah…” Ryuji nodded uncertainly,

“I see…” the teen said before looking at Rem, wine-red eyes looking deep into Rem’s red, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“You okay?” Akira asked with a small amount of concern, Rem feeling slightly out of her depth as the brown-haired teen continued to look at her.

“My apologies… but… have we met before?” the brown haired-teen asked puzzled.

Ryuji sighed before moving slightly between the brown-haired teen and Rem. “Look man, whatever you’re tryin’, I wouldn’t suggest it-”

“Yes… we met back April. You were looking for Shujin Academy,” Rem nodded, interrupting Ryuji who looked back at her in surprise.

“Wait, you know this guy?” Ryuji asked curiously.

“Not entirely...” Rem shook her head, braided hair swishing in the air behind her. “He was looking for Shujin Academy while I was on the way to school one day and he asked me for directions… I led him there but we didn’t have much time to talk since I was in a hurry.”

“Huh… what a small world…” Akira muttered.

“It was the day you came to Leblanc after the… incident with Shiho,” Rem explained, a look of dawning comprehension appearing in Akira’s face.

“Ah, I was wondering why you looked familiar,” the brown-haired teen gave a familiar charming smile just like he did back in April. “I never did get to introduce myself at the time, did I?” the brown-haired teen asked to which Rem shook her head.

“Where are my manners, even now I’ve yet to do so. My name’s Goro Akechi,” the pleasant boy, Akechi, introduced himself. “We will be filming together after all.”

“Akechi?” Ann murmured beside her.

“Filming? Are you a celebrity or somethin’?” Ryuji rattled off.

Akechi only gave a slight chuckle as he shook his head. “Only to the extent of appearing on TV a few times,” he replied.

“What did you mean by together?” Rem asked curiously, “Are you and Akira doing some sort of interview because of the video?”

Beside Akechi, Akira grimaced while the burgundy-eyed teen’s vision narrowed, a slightly strained smile appearing across his lips. “I’m… glad to say that isn’t the case. As Akira has told me, Shujin Academy’s social studies trip shall be taking place over the next two days. That likely means that the students of Shujin here will be acting as the behind-the-scenes audience so to speak,” Akechi shook his head before explaining.

Beside him, Akira snorted. “I’d very much like to stay away from the cameras thank you very much,” Akira scoffed which caused Akechi to look at him.

“And yet your face is plastered across every online media and even some news outlets, truly you’ve done a wonderful job,” Akechi retorted sarcastically.

Akira seemed to pout dramatically, his face turning ashen while Akechi only rolled his eyes. The two swiftly remembered that they were still in front of the Rem, Ryuji, and Ann.

“My apologies about that,” Akechi said sorry as he took out his phone and looked at it, his eyes widening slightly. “Oh, would you look at the time. I’m sorry but we must get going, there’s a briefing that we need to attend for tomorrow’s recording,” Akechi apologised once more.

His words, however, caused the three to look at him in confusion.

“Wait, Kurusu-san needs to attend as well?” Ann asked bewildered. Said teen scratched the back of his head, his frizzy-hair barely moving as he did so.

“Unfortunately, since the TV station was my chosen location, I have to personally deal with any mishaps or problems that crop up because of students. I also have to be told multiple times of what’s expected of Shujin Academy since we’re guests here,” Akira explained.

“With the amount of stuff on your plate, I’m surprised you’re even standin’,” Ryuji muttered, “How do you do it?”

Akira shrugged. “Copious amounts of coffee and… well, that’s it really,” he said lackadaisically. “Unfortunately, we really do need to get going. Pretty sure that you should be able to leave, just make sure you check with Miss Kawakami since she’s the chaperone,” Akira reminded with an apologetic smile.

The three nodded while the two teens left.

“Huh, sorta surprised Kurusu knows anyone outside of school,” Ryuji whispered causing both Ann and Rem to look at him in confusion.

“Why’s that?” Ann asked.

“I dunno, just sorta get that feelin’ from him,” Ryuji shrugged. “Like he doesn’t let people close or somethin’.”

“But he seems fine with us, doesn’t he?” Rem cocked her head. “And Akira and I aren’t that distant either.”

“Eh, I dunno. Like I said just that sorta feelin’,” Ryuji shook his head. “That doesn’t matter though, we goin’ to Dome Town or what?”

Both Ann and Rem nodded, the three, four including Morgana quickly checked with Miss Kawakami that they could leave before making their way to Suidobashi’s Dome Town.

“H-Hey, can we skip the vomit machines and get some crepes or pancakes instead?” Morgana mewled and beseeched from inside Rem’s bag.

Rem took great amusement in watching Ryuji try not to hurl up his lunch after going on the fastest ride that was available directly after demolishing a rice and beef dish.

* * *

The next day, Rem found herself seated in a row of seats next to Ann and Ryuji, a stark difference from the boring informercial that the PR lady had fed them and the hands-on experience that had apparently been torturous for everyone but her. She took note of the familiar head of frizzy-hair just ahead of her but that attention was drawn to the two newscasters on-stage.

There was a man wearing a two-piece black suit and a woman in a salmon-coloured blouse and black pants, both standing on stage eager to start. The cameraman stationed at one of the two large cameras directed at the stage rose a hand, three fingers lifted.

“Aaaand we’re starting in three! Two! One!” the cameraman called out, a finger falling as he counted down, then his whole hand falling as he reached zero.

“Mr. Akechi is coming on!” one of the AD’s called out.

“KYAAAAAA!”

“It’s Akechi-kun!”

“Aaaaah, he’s so cool!”

Rem almost felt her eardrums burst by the sheer wave of sound that followed the AD’s announcement by the female Shujin students that were seated around them. “Wh-What the hell?” Rem winced as she covered her ears in a vain attempt to protect her hearing.

“Ain’t that the guy we met that with Kurusu yesterday?” she was barely able to make out Ryuji’s question over the din of squealing and fangirling.

It was with wincing eyes that she was barely able to make out the teen she’d been introduced to yesterday and that she’d escorted to Shujin over a month ago walk onto the stage, a pleasant smile beaming across his face. Akechi walked over to the man in the suit and shook his hand while beaming a smile to the woman beside him, the three exchanging pleasantries before sitting down on the red sofas behind them.

“Cutting back from commercial!” the veteran AD announced from behind the camera with an arm raised. “Seven, six, five seconds till start, four, three…” the man said before swinging his arm down.

Rem was thankful for the noticeable decrease in volume from the girls around her but was offset by the female announcer on the stage.

“And now, onto the Hottest Meet-and-Greet segment of our show…” the cute announcer spoke. “After his last appearance was so well received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It’s the high school detective, Goro Akechi!”

Rem’s hands quickly flew to her ears the moment she’d finished speaking, her quick reflexes were enough to prevent her from losing her hearing via female high-pitched squealing.

“Hello there,” Akechi greeted pleasantly on-stage.

The male was the one to take over, and with a deep smooth voice, he continued the show. “Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Akechi-kun. Your popularity is stunning,” the cheerful host praised.

“Even after the last three years, it’s still such a surprise to still be so well-regarded,” Akechi chuckled with a smile.

“I see,” the woman nodded in understanding. “Moving along, we’ve been told there’s a case on your mind right. Care to share, detective?” she asked.

“I’m… unsure which one you might be referring to,” Akechi hesitated.

“Oh? What do you mean Akechi-kun?” the cheerful host asked curiously, head tilted with interest.

“Well, originally I was tasked with the investigation into one Suguru Kamoshida, the disgraced gold-star medallist,” Akechi explained, his announcement causing both Ryuji and Ann to stiffen in their seats beside Rem, herself doing the same. “That occurred because of personal matters, however, I’ve also been assigned a joint-case investigation on the scandal regarding Ichiryusai Madarame.”

“Oh… would you mind telling us about the both of them then?” the man in the black-suit asked, fishing for ways to make the TV ratings rocket.

“So long as time permits of course,” Akechi nodded in agreement. “Where would you like me to begin?”

“How about we start with the first one, the one with the former Olympian?” the female announcer offered, “You said that it occurred because of personal matters. Would you be willing to expand on that? Were you placed on the investigation following his surrender to the police?”

“Actually… I was investigating Mr. Kamoshida prior to his confession,” both the host and announcer were slightly stunned to see a grimace make its way onto Akechi’s face.

“You… were investigating him before he surrendered himself to the police?” the host asked with interest. “Does this mean that the police were aware of Kamoshida-san’s actions prior to his arrest?”

Rem could see both Ryuji’s and Ann’s hackles rise beside her, her hands quickly lashing out and landing on their thighs, reminding them where they were. They relaxed minutely in their seats but she could still tell that they were bothered by the discussion on-stage.

“Oh, nothing of the sort,” Akechi denied. “Had the police been aware, there would have been a veritable bloodbath. Many of my colleagues have daughters that attend Shujin Academy, had they known that a man of Kamoshida-san’s proclivities was getting away with such things… he’d have been arrested long ago.”

“I see… if that’s the case… then what made you decide to investigate the now-disgraced medallist? Would this have something to do with the personal matters you shared earlier?” the female announcer asked inquisitively.

Akechi seemed to consider his words for a moment. “Yes, that is indeed the case,” he eventually revealed, his words causing smiles to appear on both the host and announcer’s face. “I won’t go into details but two students at Shujin Academy were severely injured thanks to the actions of Kamoshida-san. Due to his actions, he caused a horrific incident to occur which involved two students, both of whom were grievously injured,” Akechi explained.

She felt Ryuji tense once more but strangely felt nothing from Ann.

“One of the students injured was my best friend,” Akechi announced causing gasps to ring throughout the stage.

“Oh my, is he okay?” the male host asked in concern.

Akechi waved him off casually much to the confusion of most of the people in the room. “Oh, he’s recovered, quite well, in fact. He’s stubborn and irritating, however, for the length of time that I’ve known him I’ve come to terms with the fact that he has an extremely high pain threshold,” Akechi spoke.

“Well it’s good to hear your friend has recovered,” the male host nodded but a look of befuddlement was clear on his face. “However, I noticed you said that your friend was harmed in an incident. Would this incident be the one that’s been spread online-”

Akechi held up a hand cutting the host off. “My apologies,” Akechi apologised with a charming smile, “But for the sake of the other victim involved, I’d like to keep any speculation of the incident quiet for their privacy. I will divulge, however, that is indeed the incident I am referring to,” Akechi nodded.

It was the female’s turn to gasp, but this time in excitement. “Does that mean your best friend is the young man that’s been shown to be protecting a girl, both of them wearing Shujin Uniforms in the viral video that’s been taking Japan by storm?” the female announcer asked with ill-concealed excitement.

“That… yes, that’s indeed him,” Akechi nodded, but for the slightest of moments, Rem felt like she could’ve seen an expression of pure suffering on his face.

Both the female announcer and the male host looked around into the audience. Rem felt a small amount of amusement bubble in her chest as Akira froze in front of her.

“Would he happen to be one of the Shujin students sitting in our audience?” the female announcer asked as she looked at Akechi who seemed to freeze, the face of someone accepting his fate spreading across his face as he seemed to almost sag into the sofa even while maintaining a perfect posture.

Goro sighed before nodding. “Yes, he is.”

Rem watched as the female announcer continued her search, before her eyes settled in her direction, only falling just slightly short.

With the purpose of a woman on a mission, she stood up and walked off the stage, stopping just before Akira. “You’re the boy from the recent viral video, aren’t you? Would you like to join us and Akechi on stage?” she asked, but from the way she was asking, it didn’t seem like Akira was having much of a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's my latest fic recommendation.
> 
> MonkKind - The Future of Royal:  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13552255/1/The-Future-of-Royal  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762923/chapters/57076690


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with Chapter 30 folks! Phew, to think I’d reach 10x the original estimate I made all the way back in my first chapter a month and a bit ago.

The woman in the pink blouse looked at him, eyes shining with ill-concealed interest that belied an intent for increasing the reality show’s viewership count.

“You’re the boy from the recent viral video, aren’t you? Would you like to join us and Akechi-kun on stage?” the pink-clad woman asked, but even Akira could tell she’d positioned her question in a way that would force him to accept. He could feel the gazes of countless students falling onto and urging him to accept.

 _‘Dammit, Goro. What did you not understand about the fact that I’d like to very much stay away from cameras?’_ Akira mentally snarked while allowing a façade of genial acceptance to spread across his expression.

And Goro had been the one to say he’d done a wonderful job of plastering his face across every online media and only _some_ news outlets. Now it was because of Goro that his face would likely be seen across every news outlet that decided to cover this, never mind the fact that it’d be commemorated on live television or in front of a third of the second-year students.

Akira allowed the minutest of sighs to escape his lips as he stood up, the woman taking him by the wrist to bodily drag him onto the stage. The killer of a god being dragged into a stage for the sake of viewership, how far Akira had fallen.

“To think that something like this would happen on live television!” the suited host of the show grinned broadly as Akira sat down beside Goro. The broad grin on the host’s face only seemed to grow even further as he brought a finger up to the communicator in his ear, his brown orbs swivelling between both Goro and Akira.

“Akechi-kun, I’ve just received information from one of my superiors. Would you be amenable to increasing the running time of the show to accommodate this young man?” the man asked curiously, but it was impossible to miss the hope within his voice.

“No, that’s fine by me,” Goro accepted but Akira didn’t miss the conflicted expression that flashed across his face and the strain in his voice.

Goro, you should’ve declined. Akira decided if he was going to suffer up here he’d have to make sure Goro suffered as well.

“That’s wonderful! What do you all think?” the pink-clad female asked as she turned to the Shujin audience for a response, and their response was not lacking in the slightest. The cheers from most of the female and even some of the male audience shook the plush and annoyingly comfortable couch Akira was sitting on.

“Hahaha, it seems they agree,” the man chuckled as an assistant quickly ran onto the stage, a small device in hand, a clip-on microphone attached to a communicator/receiver box which he thrust into Akira’s hands. Akira gave another imperceptible sigh before he clipped the microphone onto his collar before sliding the receiver down the front of his shirt so the wire was hidden from view, grabbed the receiver and hid it in his pocket.

“Is the microphone working by any chance young man?” the host asked questioningly, looking at Akira searchingly.

“Would you be sad if I said no?” Akira asked with the microphone, unfortunately, working as intended.

“Ha! Not a fan of cameras, I assume?” the suited man asked with a chuckle to which Akira shook his head.

“No. Well that and a certain _someone_ has been on my case about being all over the internet,” Akira snarked inclining his head at Goro who was now wearing a strained smile, his façade slowly breaking as Akira already began to test his patience.

“I’m sure you must have some interesting stories for us about Akechi-kun then,” the woman in the pink blouse leered before remembering where she was. “Oh, I just realised we don’t know your name! Would you mind introducing yourself to everyone,” the woman requested, motioning to the two cameras recording them as she did so.

Akira sent the camera a charming smile and a wave, “Hello, I’m sure some at Shujin Academy know my name, but for those and the viewers that don’t, my name is Akira Kurusu,” Akira gave a short introduction.

“Thank you for that, Kurusu-san,” the male host thanked him. “Now, would you mind telling us a few things about yourself before we begin the questions with both Akechi-kun and yourself?”

Akira allowed a slight grin to worm its way onto his face as Goro actually gave a suffering sigh beside him, likely already realising how having Akira on stage with him was a bad idea. “What would you like to know?” he asked, allowing himself to actually get settled in the stupidly plush couch.

Both the suited man and the blouse-clad woman smiled, leaning forward as if they’d landed upon a goldmine. “Well, I’m sure as most viewers can see from your uniform and what we were discussing earlier that you’re from Shujin Academy. Do you have any extracurricular sports or clubs that you attend? I think some of our viewers might be interested,” the woman asked, one leg crossing over the other.

“Ah… well, I don’t have any extracurricular activity or club that I attend,” Akira admitted only to earn him some slightly disappointed looks from the two of them.

“What he’s not telling you is that he’s part of the student council of Shujin Academy,” a traitorous voice said from beside him. Akira looked to his left and saw Goro giving him a smug smirk.

You just sealed your fate, you traitorous asshat.

“Truly?” the disappointed looks disappeared from their faces and were replaced with ones of interest and excitement.

“Indeed,” Goro nodded a smile on his face. “He’s the vice-president in fact.”

“My, to think you hold such a position within your school,” the man praised, “Your parents must be proud of you.”

Both Goro and Akira grimaced, confused and concerned glances being sent their way.

“I’m… an orphan actually,” Akira shook his head, a look of horror and apology appearing on the man’s face as he backpedalled to apologise.

“O-Oh, I-I’m sorry-” the man began to but stopped when Akira made a motion to stop him.

“Don’t be, you didn’t know,” he waved him off which earned him a thankful look from the man. “But yes, I am the student council vice-president,” Akira nodded.

“W-Well, you certainly get around, don’t you?” the woman spoke up to break the strange tension. “The incident with Kamoshida-san, the incident with the girl in the video, and even being a student council vice-president,” she continued, “I’d say you’re quite like Akechi-kun.”

“About Akechi-kun, would you happen to have anything to tell us about him? Akechi-kun has been quite tight-lipped about his personal life,” the host changed the topic, quickly realising that digging into the young man’s past and his reaction had already caused a dip in viewership.

He needed to do something to regain the views that were being lost, even if his superiors hadn’t been yelling in his ear for his blunder.

Goro sent Akira a pleading look only to become crestfallen at the smug grin that had suddenly appeared across said teen’s face. “I have _so_ many things I could tell you,” Akira smiled, “I hope you don’t begrudge me for being petty, if Goro wanted to spill some secrets of mine I’d love to spill some of his.”

“You call Akechi-kun ‘Goro’?” the woman cocked her head at the fact Akira had called Goro by his first name and the fact he’d barely reacted.

“I’ve known Akira for a long time,” Goro sighed, the cameras capturing every single iota of suffering and despair that was on his face as he realised Akira was going to be taking a sledgehammer and absolutely destroy the reputation he’d so carefully cultivated over the past two-and-a-bit years.

“How about we start at the beginning?” the woman asked with a kindly smile, “How did the two of you meet?”

Goro’s head shot up and looked at Akira with narrowed eyes. “Don’t,” Goro warned quietly, but with the microphone clipped to his shirt, it was more than audible.

Akira just sent him a shit-eating grin before turning to the hosts of the show. “Would you believe me if I told you that when we first met Goro was the foulest little gremlin you could imagine?” Akira asked.

A short silence resounded throughout the recording studio as the hosts blinked in unison.

“Excuse me?” the woman asked, double-checking that she’d heard correctly which only caused Akira to grin even further while Goro’s façade fully dropped, the wine-eyed teen burying his face into his hands with a groan, said arms propped up by the elbows on his knees.

“See, the first time we met was around three years ago,” Akira explained. “I’d recently moved into my house but it was a bit big for living by myself, so I’d placed a notice out looking for housemates.”

The two hosts fell silent as they looked at Akira with rapt attention, the audience doing the same as far as he could tell without looking at him.

“And then, one morning my doorbell starts to ring while I’m in the middle of making some pancakes. It turned out that Goro at the time was looking for a place to stay and had come across my notice,” Akira continued. “Of course, after a round of introduction, pancakes, and being the foul little gremlin he was, Goro didn’t exactly trust me.”

“You were a fourteen-year-old offering me a place to stay, of course, I would be suspicious,” Goro groaned earning him startled looks as everyone quickly realised that everything that Akira had said was the truth.

“And then, after I’d fed him, he walked right out the door, grabbed his luggage and walked right back in, taking command of one of my bedrooms,” Akira smiled at the stunned hosts. “That was how we first met and have been friends ever since.”

“You… live together?” the host blinked, asking uncertainly to make sure that what he’d heard had been correct.

“Yup,” Akira said, popping the p, “Have been for the last three-years up until even now. I’ve had the pleasure of watching Goro mature from a rude gremlin into the second-coming of the detective prince.”

He at least had to make Goro’s reputation wasn’t _too_ shattered.

“And I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing you grow from an insufferable fourteen-year-old into an insufferable seventeen-year-old that is somehow my closest friend and the bane of my existence,” Goro snarked back once more stunning at the words comping from the usually composed detective prince.

“As you can see, some of the feral gremlin in him comes out when I push his buttons,” Akira chuckled.

“You two are quite close, aren’t you?” the host smiled, surprised but in a pleasant way to see the young man beneath the detective prince. It was certainly more than any other news or reality shows would ever be able to acquire from the teen.

“Much to my dismay at times,” Goro nodded, but in stark contrast to his normal demeanour, there was a small genuine grin on his face. “He can find a way to effortlessly push my buttons. It’s quite irritating really.”

“It doesn’t help I know lots of little secrets about him,” Akira piped up. “Like the fact that Goro can’t cook. Or that he has an obsession over pancakes,” he said causing the brown-haired teen to look at him affronted.

“That was one time!” Goro argued. “And you can’t talk, you’re addicted to coffee.”

“You tried to put out an oil fire with water, almost burning the house down in the process. You were making pancakes, you don’t even need that much oil. It’s the reason why I’m the one that cooks between the two of us,” Akira retorted. “And I’m quite comfortable in my hypocrisy, thank you very much.”

The two hosts watched the two argue back and forth like a tennis match, the enraptured audience doing the same. Goro eventually just let out an exhausted sigh while making a motion to Akira.

“This is what I mean by the fact he can effortlessly push my buttons,” Goro groused causing the hosts and the audience to burst out into laughter at the bickering between the two.

“Ha, well if you’d like we can move onto our topic previously if you’d like? Kurusu-san can continue to join us on stage if you’re both agreeable?” the man offered, realising that almost half of the allotted time for the both of them had passed with neither of the questions they’d originally posed to Akechi being answered.

“That would be appreciated,” Goro nodded then looked at Akira. “Is that okay with you?”

Akira just shrugged. “Sure… shame I can’t spill any more secrets of yours,” he bemoaned sadly.

“Yes, such a shame,” Goro ground out dryly while rolling his eyes. Shaking his head, the two of them looked at the two hosts. “We were talking about the two cases regarding Ichiryusai Madarame and Suguru Kamoshida that I’ve recently undertaken, the first being given to me by my superiors on top of my current case on the second,” he said, receiving twin nods.

“That is indeed correct, and Kurusu-san, I think I can say for all of us that your recovery has gone well,” the cheerful suited host addressed the frizzy-haired teen that only nodded before returning his attention back to Akechi. “Madarame was said to have been sent a calling card by those calling themselves ‘the Phantom Thieves of Hearts’. They’ve caused quite a bit of excitement with the public.”

“Ah, the Phantom Thieves…” Goro murmured to himself, but his words were once more caught no matter how lowly he whispered. “They were also involved with the unresisting surrender of Kamoshida-san.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware of that,” the pink-clad woman tilted her head.

Goro shook his head. “It’s not quite public knowledge since it was only confined to Shujin Academy rather than Ueno, but yes, the Phantom Thieves were indeed involved with his confession. I was only aware due to Akira’s past encounters with the man.”

“I see… if you would allow me to be blunt, what are your opinions on these justice-oriented Phantom Thieves? I’d like to hear both of your opinions,” the cheerful host asked curiously.

The both of them straightened themselves in their seat, Akira curious as to what Goro would say.

“If they are truly heroes of justice, then I sincerely hope they exist,” Goro spoke.

The suited man nodded.

“And yourself, Kurusu-san?”

Akira nodded in agreement. “I believe that they exist. I also believe that they can be a force for change,” he gave his own opinion.

“Interesting, so both of you agree in the possibility that they are real. Have the two of you discussed this before?” he asked.

Goro shook his head, Akira doing the same much to the man’s surprise. “Actually, we haven’t. I had meant to at one point, however, I have since been side-tracked and distracted with work,” Goro explained with a smile.

“You’ve both said you believe that they exist… however, I noticed neither of you actually stated any personal opinions,” the man said, his colleague allowing him to take the reins, so to speak.

The smile from Goro’s face faded. “Hypothetically, if the Phantom Thieves are real…” Goro began, and Akira knew at this point that Goro was still holding true to his own justice, “…even with the good they have done, they should be tried in a court of law.”

“That’s quite the opinion,” the host stated, his cheer dying down as the discussion of opinions began. “Are they committing a crime?” he inquired, “Some say that the Thieves are helping their victims abandon their evil ways.”

Goro only shook his head in disagreement, “What Madarame-san and Kamoshida-san have done are both truly unforgiveable crimes, however, the Phantom Thieves have taken the law into their own hands and have judged them themselves.”

Goro leaned back in contemplation. “The ends are justified, yes, but what concerns me is the means. How would one forcibly change the heart and mental state of an individual? Is it moral or ethical?” he explained before looking up at the two hosts.

“Do not misunderstand me. I do not wish for them to be condemned or praised, I merely wish to gain an understanding of if their methods are acceptable in the face of true justice,” Goro shook his head. “If so, I have no issue with the Phantom Thieves. However, if they are not morally or ethically acceptable, then I would find them guilty of committing crimes.”

“You have given this quite a bit of thought Akechi-kun,” the suited host nodded, the cameras having recorded the whole discussion. He then moved onto Akira. “And what about you, Kurusu-san? What are your opinions of the Phantom Thieves?” he asked.

“I’m actually quite curious as well,” Goro nodded.

Akira paused for a moment, thinking over his words.

“I… still stand by my words that the Phantom Thieves can be a force for change,” Akira said. “However, I have yet to decide if that change is for better or worse.”

“Oh, would you be willing to elaborate?” the man asked curiously, leaning forward while Goro looked at him.

Akira nodded. “As Goro said, the Phantom Thieves have judged both Kamoshida and Madarame by their own hands and have proven themselves to be a good group that exposes dangerous elements hidden from the public,” Akira spoke, capturing everyone’s attention. “But that isn’t necessarily a good thing…”

“That’s… quite the controversial thing to say Akira-san. Why would you say something so controversial but so brave?” the man asked.

Akira paused.

“Because I’d rather form my own opinions and judge their actions for myself rather than follow what everyone else thinks. The Phantom Thieves have done much good… but they can also indirectly do a lot of bad,” Akira said earning him confused looks.

“They create a dependence,” Akira explained as he noticed the confused looks from both hosts. “In the short-term, they uncover crimes and resolve issues for those that need assistance. However, in the long-term, I fear if the public depends on the Phantom Thieves.”

“Why is that?” Goro asked curiously.

“Because nothing is forever,” Akira shrugged. “If more and more people depend on the Phantom Thieves, what would happen if they disappear? They’re only a group of people, and I doubt they’d be around forever. And they cannot do everything.”

“You’re concerned about the long-term impact as opposed to their current actions then?” Goro summarised, looking at Akira strangely.

“Yes…” Akira nodded. “I don’t begrudge what they do, but I fear for when they become so depended on that a void is left behind when they disappear. I also fear the backlash they would face if they failed to meet the public's expectations.”

“My, the both of you have such insightful and interesting opinions on the Phantom Thieves,” the host commended. “I must admit I hadn’t expected such charisma from you Kurusu-san. Akechi-kun we are familiar with the charisma he radiates but you were quite unexpected.”

“You’re going to make me blush,” Akira said airily as he swung an arm around Goro’s neck, “But I’ll leave the cameras and lights to Goro next time.”

Goro shook his head wryly as he pushed the frizzy-haired teen off him while the two hosts laughed.

“Haha, you two are quite the pair!” the suited host laughed jovially.

“Now then, let’s see what other students the same age as Akechi-kun and Kurusu-san think about the Phantom Thieves!” the female host announced as they moved on with the show. “First, please press your button now if you think the Phantom Thieves exist.”

Beside Goro and the suited announcer, a giant sign beside them sparking to life with the number seventeen, signalling that seventeen of the forty-one or so students had voted that the Phantom Thieves existed.

“About 30% or so? What are your thoughts?” the cheerful host asked the both of them.

“Truthfully? I’m surprised it isn’t higher,” Goro admitted surprising Akira. “Shujin Academy was the debut location of the Phantom Thieves after all. I’d love to hear some more detailed opinions of students other than Akira on the Phantom Thieves actions. I believe it would provide more insight into my cases.”

Both Goro and Akira watched as the punk-blouse warning announcer stood up and made her way back into the audience of students, looking around at them before focusing on one in particular.

“All right, let’s ask this young woman,” the announcer nodded as she thrust a microphone in Rem’s face to little surprise from Akira. “Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?” she inquired.

“They’ve done more than the police so far,” came Rem’s answer which caused Goro to chuckle.

“Yes, I suppose they have. The police have only been reactive in the cases that have been brought to light, myself included,” Goro nodded. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite ready to hear such a strong acknowledgement of the Phantom Thieves actions.”

“I have a question I’d like to pose to you…” Goro leaned forward while Akira watched, the brown-haired teen’s focus placed solely on Rem. “If your friend, such as the one beside you were to have his heart changed… would you not be worried about the methods behind how it was done?”

“Would you?” Rem shot back, her quick reply causing Goro to tilt his head.

“Very much so,” Goro nodded. “If Akira were to suddenly and violently change so drastically compared to his usual self, I would worry about what methods would have been used to incur such a change. If the Phantom Thieves had stolen his heart… I would question what they had done to him.”

Akira found himself blindsided by the casual admittance from Goro.

Goro, however, just gave a satisfied nod. “I think I’ve satisfied my questions for now,” Goro thanked the hosts before looking up at the giant digital clock behind the audience that was only visible from the stage, “However, I think we are out of time.”

“Oh, it seems you’re right!” the cheerful host exclaimed as his colleague returned to the stage. Both the host and his colleague stood up, Goro standing up with Akira following his lead. “Thank you for tuning in on our Hottest ‘Meet-and-Greet’ segment of our show with Goro Akechi, and a surprise guest appearance from the latest viral sensation, Akira Kurusu!”

The man extended his hand to which Goro took, while the woman extended her own dainty hand which Akira took gently, the four of them smiling at the cameras as they did so.

* * *

The three quickly vacated their seats and left alongside the rest of the Shujin students as directed by Miss Kawakami.

“Man, that was some seriously heavy stuff…” Ryuji murmured shaking his head as they stopped for a moment. “I mean, I get why that Akechi dude is worried an’ all… I mean I wouldn’t believe half the stuff we did if I wasn’t out doin’ it…”

Ann and Rem nodded understandingly. “Tell me about it, I wasn’t expecting Kurusu-kun to say stuff like that… what happens when we’re gone? I mean… we all know we can’t do this forever…” Ann said trailing off uncertainly.

It was Rem, however, who was unbothered and simply shrugged. “We’ve done what we have to help people. And we _have_ helped people,” Rem stated causing Ryuji and Ann to look at her. “If we can make the world a better place piece by piece… I’m sure that when we’re gone, we won’t have anything to be worried about.”

“Wow…” Ann uttered with wide eyes. “You’re surprisingly optimistic.”

“Ain’t you bothered?” Ryuji asked.

Rem’s shoulders rose and fell as she shook her head. “If we didn’t do what we did… Yusuke would still be suffering… Shiho and everyone else in Shujin would still be suffering…” she explained. “I won’t regret saving someone else.”

That was what she’d vowed to Selina. She would steal her own justice unafraid of the consequences that awaited her.

“When you put it like that… you’ve got a point, huh?” Ryuji said before giving a grin.

“Yeah, Rem’s right! We’re helping people, aren’t we?” Ann nodded, cheered up compared to earlier.

“You’re getting good at those small speeches of yours, Rem,” Morgana praised as he popped out from his bag for the briefest moment to compliment her before returning before anyone noticed him.

Suddenly, Ryuji winced while crossing his legs awkwardly. “Ah damn, I gotta go take a leak. Can you two wait here? I’ll be right back!” he called out before darting off in search of a nearby restroom without waiting for a response.

“Ugh, we were having a moment and he just had to go and ruin it,” Ann groused.

“He could have been a little more quiet before announcing it at least,” Rem shook her head but the two stayed where they were as requested.

“Oh, it's you! Rem, wasn’t it?” a voice called out causing both Rem and Ann to look up to see the familiar visage of Goro Akechi.

“Akechi-san!” Ann said in surprise as one of the two people they’d just been talking about approached the two of them. She noticed the lack of a certain frizzy-haired teen. “Where’s Kurusu-kun?” she asked.

The burgundy-eyes teen gave a smile as he inclined his head in the direction of the hallway that led deeper into the studio. “He’s saying farewell to the manager of the studio since they’re acquainted. He’ll be back shortly…” Akechi’s head tilted as he looked at Ann. “I’m sorry… I know this is repeating myself, but we’ve met prior to yesterday have we not?”

Rem looked at Goro and Ann in surprise, unaware that they were acquainted.

Ann nodded. “Yeah… we met briefly in the intensive care unit where Kurusu-kun and Shiho were brought to after she tried to commit suicide and Kurusu-kun stepped in to save her…” Ann murmured.

“Ah, you were the one that accompanied Suzui-san while Yoshizawa-san accompanied Akira,” Akechi nodded understandingly, “My condolences.”

“Thank you… actually, not just for that…” Ann shook her head before looking at Akechi. “Thank you for not letting the hosts talk about Shiho… she’s been through enough already…”

Akechi gave her a gentle smile. “I understand, I saw both hers and Akira’s list of injuries. What happened to her shouldn’t be public knowledge,” Akechi explained, Ann giving him a grateful nod.

“Uh, you said you were looking for Rem?” Ann cocked her head.

“Indeed,” Akechi nodded before turning to Rem. “I wanted to thank you, actually. To paraphrase Hegel, advancement cannot occur without both thesis and antithesis…”

“You found meaning with those questions you asked then?” Rem questioned, curious as to why he was quoting a German philosopher.

“You understood that?” Ann murmured quietly but was left unanswered.

“Indeed,” Akechi nodded with a smile, “I can count on one hand the number of people that I know that are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you have, even then, there’s only one person that treats me like an equal. The rest are adults that would otherwise dismiss what I say outright.”

“There are many vile people in these modern times, as such, I can understand why you support the Phantom Thieves,” Akechi said.

“I’m surprised you don’t since they brought the one that indirectly harmed Akira to justice,” Rem rose a brow as she reported causing Akechi to simultaneously grimace and chuckle.

“Yes… one would think I would support the Phantom Thieves after what they have done, however, as part of the police, much less a detective, I must remain logical and objective even should I wish to be emotional and subjective,” Akechi shook his head in a self-deprecating manner before giving Rem a smile. “Just like that, I cannot think of many that would speak to me in such a manner, as an equal.”

Akechi paused for a moment before looking at Rem. “Would you permit me a question regarding the Phantom Thieves? I wish to know of your opinion on the matter,” Akechi asked, his words causing both Ann and Rem to cock their heads peculiarly, with Rem nodding.

“You are of the belief that the Phantom Thieves are undoubtedly of good intentions correct?” he asked.

Rem nodded.

“I see… with their methods, one would naturally assume that they have special talents, with hearts of justice from what their actions portray,” Akechi spoke, Rem wondering where he was going with this. “But I wonder… if they were to come face-to-face with someone with the same special powers… and was unimaginably stronger than them, I am of the belief that they would flee without a second thought.”

Rem’s eyes narrowed at that accusation. It seemed, however, that Akechi was wholly unbothered by her glare as he simply chuckled. “Yes, this is indeed what I meant. You are unafraid to speak your mind… so tell me, what do you believe that they would do?”

Rem was vividly reminded of their fight against Remnant. How they’d gotten so thoroughly destroyed. Yet…

The thought of running away had never crossed her mind for a single moment.

“They’d fight to the end,” Rem responded.

“Interesting…” Akechi murmured as he looked at Rem appraisingly. “You say that with such surety and conviction that it’s intriguing, truth be told. I believe you would make for a worthwhile debate partner on the subject.”

“Not Akira?” Rem asked, “He seems like he has his own opinions.”

“No…” Akechi shook his head. “Akira is much more concerned about the long-term outcome of their actions and what should happen should they disappear. He is concerned about the future. I… am more concerned about the present… and something tells me you are as well,” burgundy-eyes stared into vivid red.

“That being said, would you be averse to sharing your thought with me?” Akechi questioned enquiringly as he extended his glove-clad hand.

“To prove you wrong? I’d love to,” Rem smirked, a hand grasping the brown-haired teens in a firm shake.

“Heh, you are quite amusing. Thank you,” Akechi chuckled, “I sense there something unique in you that’s different from nearly anyone else that I’ve met. A detective’s intuition, you could call it.”

Rem felt for some strange reason as if Akechi had taken a liking to her.

The familiar voice of a young girl resounded in her mind, the sounds of chains shattering accompanied the voice as Rem felt her soul make way for another Arcana.

**I am thou, thou art I…**

**Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

**It shall become the wings of rebellion**

**that breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

**With the birth of the Justice Persona,**

**I have obtained the winds of blessing that**

**shall lead to freedom and new power…**

The Justice Persona… from Rem’s studies recently into tarot cards, Justice was represented by VIII. Eighth major arcana of tarot cards, symbolising a strict allegory of justice, objectivity, rationality and analysis… all of which Akechi had already displayed.

“Ah, yes- we should exchange contact information, shouldn’t we?” Akechi smiled, as he pulled out his phone, Rem doing the same and allowing the Bluetooth registration to do the rest. Her phone let out a familiar chime signalling that they’d registered each other’s contact information.

“There, registered,” Akechi nodded in satisfaction. “Well, I hope to see you again sometime soon. I’d stay but I do believe Akira had been taking his time and I should go fetch him,” he made to turn around but halted in his movements.

“I must say, it seems I keep forgetting my manners,” Akechi murmured to himself before looking at Rem. “I’m afraid I've never gotten either of your names.”

“Rem Amamiya.”

“Ann Takamaki.”

“Amamiya-san, Takamaki-san. It was a pleasure meeting you,” Akechi nodded before walking in the direction of the hallway that led deeper into the building.

“Wow…” Ann murmured.

“What?” Rem raised a brow as she heard Ann murmur to herself and turned towards her only to find the blonde staring at Rem with wide eyes.

“You gave him your number,” Ann whispered with wide eyes which only caused Rem to quirk a brow in confusion.

“And?”

“You weren’t even willing to give Yusuke your number, but you gave yours to him without a second thought,” Ann said which Rem only shrugged.

“Akechi hasn’t tried to ask us to model for him,” Rem responded as her shoulders fell but that didn’t stop a sly grin from forming on Ann’s face.

“Oooooor is our Joker falling for the detective prince?” Ann moved close to Rem, regarding her with a knowing look.

Rem just rolled her eyes and flicked Ann on the nose with a finger, causing the bushy-pigtailed blond to recoil but giggle.

“We should be careful…” Morgana suddenly popped out of Rem’s bag causing the two to stop momentarily. “That ‘detective intuition’ of his… we shouldn’t underestimate that,” Morgana advised.

“Got it,” Rem nodded.

“On the other hand, there’s an awful lot we could learn from him. If he contacts you, I’d suggest hanging out with him. It might prove beneficial but it’s ultimately up to you,” Morgana counselled.

“I think I know which one she’s going to choose,” Ann gave a crafty smile.

“Would you give it up? I talked to him for all of fifteen minutes,” Rem complained while Morgana, with his piece said, retreated back into her bag as they waited for the other blonde of their group.

A pair of heavy footsteps revealed the location of their missing restroom member. “Sorry for takin’ so long, got lost in the hallways again,” Ryuji apologised as he ran up to the two girls with a slight huff, “Did I miss anythin’?”

“Rem gave her number to Akechi.”

“For real?!”

Her friends would be the death of her.

* * *

It was dusk fall that found a man looking over the glittering lights of Tokyo in a high-rise skyscraper. He was sitting from his chair which was turned around to look outside the windows that covered one side of his office. He wore a pair of spectacles with yellow lenses and a form-fitting bespoke suit.

In a rare moment wherein he had no meetings or appointments, the man took the time to look over the country he was working from the shadows to bring under his complete control.

**_~Ring-a-ling~_ **

Brown eyes behind yellow spectacles narrowed in irritation as his cell-phone on his desk rang. He shook off the irritation as he spun his chair around and took the phone call. “What is it? My next meeting is in half an hour so it had better be important,” the man said coldly.

“My apologies, Shido-san,” the person on the other line apologised. Shido recognised him as one of the five people he actually trusted somewhat. “However, while I was working today I came across a live interview regarding a mutual person of interest with whom is under your employ.”

“Stop beating around the bush, I know who you’re talking about. Why should I care what the brat does when he’s not killing people?” the man growled, irritation slowly leaking back in.

“Because this live interview has something that may interest you. I’ve recorded it and sent it to your email to view at your discretion,” the person on the other line said.

Shido nodded. “I’ll view it when I have time,” his voice was succinct as he cut the connection with a press of the phone screen. He threw his phone onto his desk before taking a look at his computer.

He took a look at his clock.

He had another twenty-eight minutes.

With a barely repressed growl, he booted up his computer and began to scroll through his emails. He found the one that had been sent by the IT manager he somewhat trusted it and opened it showing a video of Goro Akechi, his little pet cognitive psience murderer.

“Why exactly would I care about what he does?” Shido snorted, intending to delete it but accidentally played it instead.

 **_One of the students injured was my best friend._ ** ****

Well…

…wasn’t that a little interesting tidbit of information.

His attention thoroughly focused on the screen, Masayoshi Shido watched the video to the end.

“Akira Kurusu…” Shido leaned back in his chair, testing the name on his tongue but clicked it in irritation as it bore no resemblance to anyone he knew. “Akechi thought he could hide him… what a fool.”

He thought back to when he’d first met Akechi, who he’d quickly used to murder Wakaba Ishhiki. How shortly after, the brown-haired teen had searched for housing to which he’d waved him off uncaringly and directed him to his somewhat trusted ex-yakuza member.

Who’d directed him to one Akira Kurusu who for all intents and purposes was some brat at… Shujin. The same place that Akechi had threatened the fat tub of lard that controlled the place… the same tub of lard that was slowly proving himself useless.

Shido sat in his chair for a moment in deep contemplation before picking up his phone, opening his contact list and clicking on a specific contact.

“Who do you need ‘cleaned up’ boss?” a rough voice came from across the connection.

“No one, I need information on someone,” Shido declined. “A few years back, you referred Akechi to someone called Akira Kurusu. What do you know about him, Endo?”

There was a moment of pause across the connection.

“Boss… I’m going to tell ya’ now, whatever you’re planning. Don’t.” Endo advised causing Shido to quirk a brow.

“Excuse me?” Shido growled.

“Kid’s big money. Real big money,” Endo said over the line. “And he’s got the Yakuza scared shitless. He pays, and the old family become his little bitches. He’s got more connections than me… all the way at the top.”

“…Is he going to be a problem?” Shido assessed.

“Don’t know, the old family is too scared of him for some reason. I do know the kid's got enough money to make the Shibuya mafia look like chumps. Pays hundreds of millions per deals, least that’s what a turncoat in the old family tells me. Apparently, he makes under the table deals.”

“Does he at least keep to himself?” Shido questioned.

“Yeah, doesn’t do shit. Doesn’t mean people underground aren’t careful,” Endo grunted, Shido nodding.

So Akechi’s little housemate was feared with Endo’s sort.

“Do you think he’d be willing to support us?” Shido asked curiously. If he had more money than the Shibuya mafia then he must have had some serious cash. And money made the world run.

“Don’t know.”

Shido sat in his chair quietly.

“Keep me updated if anything happens with him. I don’t need another player in this game, only those that’ll follow orders,” Shido ordered.

“Got it, boss.”

Shido cut the connection with a click before looking at his computer, at the recorded interview with Akechi sitting side-by-side by a frizzy black-haired teen with a smile on his face.

“Akira Kurusu… at least you’ll make for a good leash for the brat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, here are my recommendation for this chapter.
> 
> Retribution of the Trickster by Asphaow also better known as Chadzura -  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24405181/chapters/58872412
> 
> The Wish for Control by Dev0ted -  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24510076/chapters/59167783
> 
> A real good flick that I call total bullshit being his first cause the grammar, punctuation, and spelling are all on-point.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here we are with Chapter 31 folks!
> 
> So, here’s the rundown of why the whole chapter-a-day thing went to shit.
> 
> On the fifth of July my computer of 8 years finally pooped itself, god bless and I had to order a new one and with everything being closed in Australia at the time, I ended up ordering internationally.
> 
> Bad idea.
> 
> Got stuck in customs cause Australia was getting hit by second wave of Covid then got lost after around twenty-five or so days. It was only a few days ago that I got another one with express shipping as apology and then proceeded to get ass-reamed by Uni.
> 
> This chapter came because of thanks to those in the discord Church of Kasumi know here at the moment as @Right, previously @Sumi, and is currently on ao3 as some1upoyo. He wrote everything from the Metaverse onwards while I went back and added details.
> 
> Updates will happen sporadically because of Uni but I’ll try to do better than a month and a bit update.

“All I’ve heard today is talk about Akechi and Kurusu… it’s all anyone’s been talkin’ ‘bout. Barely a thing about the Phantom Thieves…” Ryuji bemoaned as Rem sat on the wooden bench beside the vending machines in the school courtyard, a can of orange soda in her hands.

“We’re not doing any of this stuff as Phantom Thieves for fame, remember?” Ann reminded as she popped a snack into her mouth.

“I know… it’s just annoyin’ is all,” Ryuji slumped. “We changed Madarame’s heart and everythin’ but after yesterday all anyone wants to talk about is Akechi and Kurusu.”

“I overheard the meet-and-greet was pretty well-received so they’re going to air a recording of it again tonight,” Rem piped up as she took a sip of her soda. “It could’ve been worse, though.”

“How exactly, could it have been worse?” Ryuji questioned as he tilted his head upwards from his slump.

“Well, Akechi-kun could’ve said we were evil?” Ann supplied, “All the two of them really did was worry over how we did it. Neither of them said what we were doing was bad.”

Rem nodded.

Ryuji perked up. “Oh yeah, he said he didn’ think we were good or evil, didn’ he? And Kurusu said we’ve done a lot of good, yeah!” Ryuji nodded only to have a piece of Ann’s snack dinking off his head softly.

“Quiet down, would you?” Ann scolded as she sighed, setting her now empty container of snack off to the side. “Kurusu-san also said we could do a lot of bad though…” Ann added, “But like Rem said yesterday, we’ve been saving people and that isn’t something to regret.”

“Yeah, you’re right…” Ryuji scratched the back of his head. “Actually, bout savin’ people and all…”

“You’re wondering when we’ll be going back into Mementos?” Morgana asked as he popped out of Rem’s bag beside her.

Ryuji and Ann nodded while Rem continued to enjoy her beverage.

“We agreed that we’d be going after the social studies trip after all,” Morgana reminded which caused twin grins to appear on Ann and Ryuji’s faces. “We will be facing off against the Remnant alongside the requests that Mishima has been sending us, so I’d suggest you come prepared,” Morgana advised as Ann and Ryuji’s grins vanished.

“Aw man… was so excited to kick some ass as well…” Ryuji pouted before grinning, “Least I’ll sleep like a rock tonight.”

“Seriously, that’s what you’re taking out of this?” Ann let out a suffering sigh as she shook her head before looking at Rem. “Would you mind letting Yusuke know to meet us in Shibuya?”

Rem nodded, downing the rest of her soda and throwing it into the trash without looking. The comforting sound of aluminium clanking against steel resounded in their corner of the courtyard as Rem pulled out her phone and began to send out a group text.

“We’ll use today to see if Remnant is the person with the black mask that Madarame mentioned as well, agreed?” Morgana asked.

“Yeah, I gotcha,” Ryuji nodded with a grin, Morgana returning into Rem's bag satisfied.

A flash and the click of a camera caused the three students to wince, Rem looking up from her phone and the two blondes to whirl around in surprise.

“The hell?” Ryuji questioned, rubbing the little white spots in the corner of his vision as his eyes settled on the familiar form of the Student Council President.

“You three seem to be having so much fun. I’m a little jealous,” the brown-haired third-year simpered as she tucked away her phone.

“Can we help you?” Rem asked calmly, eyes narrowing slightly as she tucked away her own phone and stared at the similarly red-eyed girl, “You seem to have been keeping a close eye on us for a while now.”

Twin orbs of red continued to stare at each other. “Can I not look after my peers?” the council-president asked.

“You’ve been following us everywhere. All the way from Shibuya to Kichijoji,” Rem shook her head as she stood up. “Looking after your peers doesn’t involve stalking and taking photos of them without permission,” she continued evenly.

“When you say it like that it does make it seem wrong,” Makoto conceded but didn’t back down. “It also makes it seem like you have something to hide with how much you try to avoid me. My ears are always open to the troubles of my peers, you know.”

The third-year was slightly taken aback by a snort from Ann.

“Is something funny, Takamaki-san?” the brown-haired girl asked with the tilt of her head. Her response was a frosty glare.

“Yes, actually,” Ann said quietly. “You say you’re willing to listen but when we ask you to leave us alone, you ignore us and say we’re hiding something. Why are you so insistent that we’re bad?” she asked as she stood up straight.

“Because three of Kamoshida’s victims and the only known victim of Madarame start to become friends? It is certainly suspicious,” she replied.

“So what?” Ryuji shrugged. “Doesn’t prove anythin’. Why wouldn’t we stick together, not like anyone here likes us anyway.”

The student council president reeled back slightly, as if stunned. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Ryuji now. “And what about Kitagawa-san? How exactly would you three have gotten involved with him?”

“Guy stalked Rem and Ann for days, wanted them to be his models,” Ryuji allowed his shoulders to droop as he told her the truth. “The two of them accepted and after everything happened, we became friends,”

“So, it’s just simple coincidence, is it?” red-eyes questioned.

“Not everything has to fit into your little narrative, Niijima-san,” Rem finally addressed her properly as she walked forward until they we just ten feet apart. “We’re all outcasts. Kamoshida shattered Ryuji’s leg, harassed Ann, and leaked my records. Yusuke’s ostracised at his school as well because Madarame used him.”

“I don’t know what you’re doing but leave us out of it,” Rem continued, her tone never leaving its even intonation. “We’ve already suffered enough as it is because of those with authority. If you’re not going to do your job properly and help your peers, the least you could do is stop trying to create problems.”

Niijima’s red-eyes widened, shock and hurt flickering in her irises, tension leaking from her shoulders and they just slumped.

“Just… make sure you show up to your classes, all right?” Niijima said quietly before turning on her heel and leaving.

“Why does she have to make everything harder…” Ryuji exhaled heavily as he sank against the vending machine behind him, Ann doing the same against the table.

“Do you think that will be enough to get her off our backs?” Ann asked wearily, looking at Rem who was still staring at the retreating back of the Student Council President. She knew her words were harsh, much harsher than she’d originally intended but after weeks of being stalked and accused, she just really wanted to stop needing to look over her shoulder. 

But she had the feeling it’d only lit a spark under the third-year, a spark that would light a pile of kindling within her. Beneath the shock and hurt in the third-year’s eyes had been a deep sense of frustration and ire.

The same sense that she’d gotten from Ann months ago.

“I don’t think so… or for now, at least,” Rem shook her head. Her thoughts were thankfully blindsided as her phone vibrated in our pocket revealing it to be a message from Yusuke explaining that he would meet them in Shibuya come the afternoon. Looking up revealed that the other two had gotten the same message.

“Come on, we should head back to class while there’s still time,” Rem announced, Ann and Ryuji nodding in agreement.

* * *

The five phantom thieves found themselves in Shibuya, standing just outside the train station with Yusuke looking at his phone.

“Comments are coming in at an alarming rate,” the blue-haired teen spoke as he rose his phone to display the comments to the three humans and cat-thing. “However, there is an even balance between those supporting the Phantom thieves and those condemning.”

Ryuji leaned forward as he squinted his eyes. “‘A criminal group with unknown goals that does whatever it wants in the name of justice’. Man… some people don’t trust us, huh…” the blonde murmured.

“Oh, what about this one?” Ann leaned forward to read and squint. “‘They’re a group of heroes that bring that bad guys to justice, no way they’re evil!’, this one’s positive…” she nodded.

“It would seem that due to the interview between the detective and student yesterday has caused a divide within the comments as neither clearly supported nor denounced us,” Yusuke stated as he tucked away his phone. “At the very least, it has not caused a significant change in the comments compared to before the interview.”

“At least it means some people still believe in us,” Ann pointed out, Yusuke nodding in agreement.

“Indeed.”

“Well, we just gotta continue helpin’ don’t we?” Ryuji grinned as he rolled his shoulders. “Both small-fry and big-ones.”

“That would be the best course of action,” Yusuke nodded. “However, finding a significant target such as Kamoshida or Madarame would prove that we are just.”

“Only problem is it’s difficult to find one as it is,” Rem added. “I haven’t seen anything on the Phantom Aficionado Website…”

“I haven’t heard anythin’ either,” Ryuji growled in slight annoyance but shook his head to point out something strange. “By the way man… what’s up with that luggage?” he nodded toward the luggage trolley by Yusuke’s side.

“Oh, I made the decision to leave the school dorms,” Yusuke looked down at his luggage. “They were not only filthy, but too noisy as well. No true art could come from such a place.”

Rem quirked a brow. “Where exactly are you planning on staying? The shack that was owned by Madarame is owned by the bank, isn’t it?” Rem asked.  
  
“Well, I was planning on staying at either Takamaki-san’s – I mean, Ann’s or your own house,” Yusuke said simply. “I’ve even prepared a thank-you gift!”

“Excuse me?” Rem asked taken aback.

“What?! Uh-uh, there’s no way that’s happening!” Ann shook her head, Rem doing the same.

“I’m in a probationary lodging, I don’t exactly have permission to bring anyone over, much less long-term,” Rem denied.

“But… that’s impossible…” Yusuke said shocked, stunned, and confused all at the same time from the swift denials.

“Dude, the hell were you expectin’?” Ryuji asked unimpressed. “You did sorta just spring it on them without lettin’ ‘em know…”

“But… I spent everything I had on those delectable Japanese sweets…” Yusuke said crestfallen.

“Can’t we check with Boss to make sure?” Morgana asked curiously, trying to help the blue-haired teen as he asked Rem.

“If Sojiro did say yes… where would he sleep exactly? There’s only one room,” Rem asked Morgana seriously, open to any alternatives.

“Ugh… seriously though… what’re we gonna do about him?” Ann asked with concern.

The three teens were left in contemplation as Yusuke continued to bemoan about the sweets he bought.

“Dammit…” Ryuji cursed as he kicked his foot against the ground. “Fine, you can come with me. My house had a spare bedroom cause… well, we’ve got a spare…” the blonde said to the bluenette.

“Truly? Thank you!” Yusuke thanked Ryuji joyously.

“Hey, don’t thank me yet man,” Ryuji shook his head. “You an’ me are gonna have to explain to my mom what’s goin’ on.”

Ryuji looked at Rem with a pleading grimace as he jerked his head towards Yusuke. “You mind if I make a quick stop at my house to explain to my mom what’s goin’ on and move Yusuke’s stuff in?” he asked.

“Go ahead, do you want us to come along?” Rem asked.

“Nah, don’t worry ‘bout it. We’ll be back quick then we can head into Mementos,” Ryuji shook his head with a grin before the two boys began to head down into the subway to catch a train to his house, leaving the two girls and cat behind.

“So… what do we do now?” Ann asked their leader curiously.

“Well… want to get some crepes while we wait for them?” Rem asked, the question causing a broad grin to spread across Ann’s face at the prospect of sweets.

“Oooh, can I get a banana crepe?” Morgana asked in excitement, stomach grumbling, hungry for food.

* * *

“So, this is where we will find the individual with the black mask…” Fox murmured as he looked around the eerie red subway of the public unconscious. “This place would make for a fine art piece…”

“One track mind, I swear…” Skull bemoaned as he grasped his head with a hand, shaking his head from side-to-side in disbelief.

“So… how are we going to find the Remnant?” Panther eventually asked after a moment of silence, asking the question that was on everyone’s mind.

“We don’t have to.”

Joker rose a quizzical brow as the four teens looked at their resident expert on all things related to the metaverse. Morgana noticing the strange looks he was getting continued to explain.

“The Remnant said that every time we made ourselves noticed and gathered fame, he’d be ready,” Mona’s bulbous head tilted as a small paw scratched at his chin. “If I remember correctly… he said he’d wait for us at the end of Aiyatsbus?”

“Aiya-whatnow?” Skull scratched his head.

“Aiyatsbus,” their raven-haired leader repeated pulling out her phone and opening the metaverse-navigation application as she did so, quickly swiping through it to the map of Mementos before presenting it to the group.

“The… path of Aiyatsbus?” Fox questioned, blue eyes absorbing the information like a sponge as he read aloud.

“I think that’s where he’ll be waiting for us, and lucky for us, there are some requests we can fulfill along the way,” Mona nodded his head as he pounced onto Fox’s shoulder, unbalancing the thin teen for a moment before he regained his footing slightly.

“Wait… look!” Panther exclaimed as she pushed Yusuke to the side to look at the Metanav, further unbalancing the two and sending them sprawling to the ground in a small puff of dirt. “Sorry!” the red leather-clad fire-user winced as she noticed what she’d inadvertently done.

Skull waved her off as he moved over to help the two up. “So, what’d ya find that made you push the two of ‘em outta the way?” the blonde wondered as he looked at Joker and Panther.

“Oh, right! Look at the nav!” Panther whirled around to look back at Joker’s phone, a new maze of paths forming on the map, indicating that they could theoretically venture even deeper into Mementos rather than finishing at Aiyatsbus.

The newly added map to the Metanav read as the path of Chemdah.

This, of course, meant that they’d need to reach the end of Aiyatsbus first.

“This path of Chemdah likely leads further into Mementos…” Morgana surmised as he stood on Fox’s shoulder.

“But why did it suddenly appear? Shouldn’t it have been there when we first came here?” Panther asked with a tilt of her head.

“Maybe it’s like a checkpoint! Y’know like a video game!” Skull exclaimed, slamming a fist into the palm of his hand with excitement which only caused the other Phantom Thieves to look at him in confusion.

“What?” their skull-faced teammate asked, taken aback by their blank stares.

“Skull… I think I can say for all of us… that you’ve lost us…” Morgana said with a wince, the others nodding along with Joker and Panther barely understanding what Skull might have been talking about.

“Well… it just sorta reminded me of like old-school role-playin’ games, you know?” Skull tried to explain. “Some places in games were locked and you needed to do like a sidequest or go through a cutscene before you can enter a new area… sorta like… that old animal catchin’ game except the animals were like these weird monsters you could capture with these red and white orbs-”

“Skull!” Joker cut him off with a slight shout, startling him enough to halt in his tracks. She pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. “Focus please,” she pleaded lightly.

“Right,” Skull nodded with an apologetic grin. “Well, I dunno, Mementos just sorta reminded me of those old games with checkpoints and all that. We gotta do somethin’ first before we can go deeper and deeper. Clear a cutscene or event and a new location unlocks here.”

“That… makes sense,” Mona nodded in understanding. “The last time we were here the Remnant did place a strange amount of emphasis on fame and being known to the public… maybe that’s what allows us to move deeper?”

“It would tie in Mementos being the public unconscious. As we become more well-known, we’ll gain more access to the deeper levels…” Rem added. However, she shook her head. “We’re getting side-tracked, we still need to complete the requests that Mishima sent us and find out if Remnant is the one with the black-mask.”

“ **Right!”**

The Phantom Thieves nodded in unison before Mona took point, relaying the requests they still needed to fulfill in Mementos. “There are four requests we need to complete that are on the Path of Aiyatsbus, the most notable being a plea from a boyfriend asking to change the heart of a sadistic girlfriend…”

* * *

As it turned out, doing multiple requests at the same time was not the most intelligent decision Joker’s made, and it was with Hikari Shimuzu’s Shadow that she was beginning to regret her decision, especially since it was the fourth consecutive request of the day.

However, as it turned out gymnastics training with Sumire had turned out to be one of her better decisions as she jumped backwards into a basic somersault, the twin swords that Shimuzu’s shadow wielded passing beneath her as she dodged a swipe. Landing with her hand and quickly clambering with the barest amount of grace, her other hand grasped the edges of her mask ready to tear it off.

In the corner of her eyes, red landed beside her.

It was time to end this.

Joker pulled downwards on her mask, blood spurting as it was ripped off as the mask itself dissolved into motes of dark red and reforming into a golden lion-beast with a mane of jade green.

“Makouha!”

“Agilao!”

Joker and Panther yelled in unison as Shiisaa and Carmen emerged from their respective masks, solid beams of light and balls of fire flying towards the Shadow, landing the final blow against it and sending it reeling.

The Shadow of Yaksini dissolved into motes of black leaving behind a black-haired girl wearing Shujin Academy’s summer uniform. The Phantom Thieves allowed a breath of relief to flow through them as they finally subdued Hikari Shimuzu’s Shadow.

While they’d largely kept the use of spells to a minimum to limit mental fatigue in order to keep themselves in as ideal condition as they could for their coming battle against Remnant, it didn’t change the fact that the battle had been arduous with everyone sustain some type of physical injury from the swords that Shimuzu’s shadow had wielded.

“No, no, no… No! I don’t want to lose him,” Shadow Shimizu cried, knees slumped against the ground with sightless eyes directed downwards.

“He’s mine. He’s mine, isn’t he?”

Rem gave a sigh as she decided to state the blunt truth, “Keep this up, and he’ll no longer be yours.”

“What made you start acting like that?” Ann asked, her curiosity getting the better of her despite the dangers of the Metaverse.

“He never protested when I did it, so I started thinking that I could get away with doing anything to him…” Shimuzu’s Shadow whispered hoarsely. “It started to escalate without me knowing that I was hurting him more than I thought…”

“You gotta go back and apologize to him… What you did just ain’t right,” Ryuji shook his head, trying to keep his head in the moment. Even as much as he wanted to wrap up the request, jittery nerves were leaving him restless for the coming encounter.

Shadow-yellow eyes looked up at the Phantom thieves, wide-eyed. It was easily discernible to tell that they’d gotten through to her. Shimuzu’s shadow nodded, motes of light rising from beneath her feet as she stood up and nodded, “Okay, I’ll do just that. Wait for me, M-kun!” Shadow Shimizu faded in one final burst of light before reforming into the bud of a Palace just as the Shadows of their previous requests all had done.

With the threats on the seventh floor of Aiyatsbus cleared for the moment, Joker took the time to move over to one of the stamps stands Jose had placed around Mementos to stamp the book she’d been given while everyone else took the time to treat their wounds with the various different soft drinks and medicines they’d all brought along. After getting the stamp from this floor, she turned to the red-etched wall with the others moving up beside her, their wounds fully healed and watched as it opened up exactly like the one Mona had interacted with during their first trip into Mementos.

“Fascinating...” Yusuke murmured wonderingly as he approached where the wall had slid into the floor and ceiling, feeling at the seamlessly smooth ground. “For such smooth elegance to appear in a place of imagination and bloodshed… if not for our upcoming battle with this ‘Remnant’ figure, I would head directly to Ryuji’s house to paint the raw emotions I feel in here,” Yusuke remarked idly.

Joker tensed as she felt a slight prickle on the back of her neck, a noticeable difference from the first time where she hadn’t been able to place what was happening but now she knew. Around her, her fellow Phantom Thieves noticed their leader’s tenseness and prepared themselves.

Remnant had arrived.

A light applause echoed from the staircase behind them, footsteps stepping lightly but audibly in the clenched silence.

“Impressive… you sensed me rather than heard me this time… you’ve grown…” the deep timbre of Remnant’s voice echoed throughout the floor, only broken by the movements of trains on either side.

The black mask on Remnant’s face looked at them, red lenses not showing their wearer's emotions as he stopped in his steps just before them, almost like a repeat of when they’d first met with the distance the exact same.

But the ever-so-noticeable small smirk that played across his lips showed his true feelings.

“I see your resolve has yet to falter,” the Remnant said, the timbre of his voice sending shivers down the Thieves’ spines before he sent an inclined tilt of his head towards Fox but the gaze of his mask kept solely on Joker. “However, I see there is one among you who I have not yet tested. Will you continue to honor our contract, yes?”

Joker nodded.

“Wonderful…”

That smirk grew the tiniest bit larger as a familiar demonic short sword slipped into the grasp of his right hand while his winged pistol slid into his left. “You who have stolen the distorted desires of the Fallen Angel of Vanity… show me the newfound might among your ranks. Hold nothing back and show to me the strength of your convictions.”

The Phantom Thieves drew their weapons and prepared themselves for the fight of their lives.

On an unspoken signal Panther and Morgana immediately fell back as Carmen and Zorro threw forth balls of fire and ripping winds in a bid to create distance, Skull and Fox taking advantage of the cover given to them to charge forward all-the-while their Persona’s buffing their strength and agility respectively.

Joker found herself in the middle of the group, readying herself for any coming attacks sent Panther and Mona’s way while quietly commanding Shiisa to use Marakukaja to increase everyone’s innate defense.

“Captain Kidd! Tarukaja!”  
  
“Goemon! Sukukaja!”

Remnant didn’t even move in the face of the two charging thieves, simply standing their while holding his weapons loosely in his grasp.

“Headbutt ‘im, Captain!”

“Cleanse the world of his ugliness, Goemon! Giant Slash!”

The boys’ personas surged forward as they barrelled forward, Captain Kidd reeling his head back before sending it forward whilst Goemon slashed at Remnant, his pipe wreathed in kinetic energy.

Joker was only able to hear a small sigh escape Remnant’s lips as he all but disappeared, fading away as Skull’s and Fox’s Persona failed to reach their mark.

The Thieves looked around warily as they searched for him. Joker’s senses were barely able to catch the flapping of fabric behind her and the sharp intake of breath from Ann.

But it was enough.

Joker lashed out behind her while releasing one of her chain-nails, sending it wrapping around Remnant while her mask burst into blue light, her Persona changing to suit her needs.

“Selina! Eiga!”

As dark energy began to coalesce in Selina’s hands, she focused the energy into the chain-nail still in her hands

“NOW!” Rem shouted, tugging on the chain to ensure it had snagged her quarry.

On Rem’s order, Panther and Mona released the spells they’d silently been charging while Skull and Fox still radiating the red and green auras of their respective spells charged at their chained foe, mace and katana raised. With everyone attacking simultaneously Rem allowed Selina to release her own spell, a bolt of cursed energy sent hurtling towards Remnant’s head.

But Remnant’s head wasn’t chained like the rest of his body.

All it took was for him to tilt his head to the left and allow the bolt of curse magic to pass harmlessly beside his head, only cutting a few strands of slicked-hair before contacting with the fire and wind sent by Panther and Mna with the oncoming fire and wind, the three magics canceling each other out while Remnant was left wholly unharmed.

Joker realized this was an almost repeat of what had happened the last time and it seemed she wasn’t the only one as Skull diverted his momentum just to the left so he’d miss Remnant who was already using the chain he was wrapped in to catch Fox’s strike.

Fox’s fighting style relied on long flowing strikes, akin to a painter. His strikes lacked power but it made up for that with precision, and with the help of his Persona, agility, and speed.

A mouse would never be able to harm a tiger.

Fox found his precise strike stuck between the chains, a lack of strength preventing them from cutting through Rem’s chains much less into Remnant.

Said chained-up persona-user only let out a sigh, his lips curling into a disappointed frown as he spoke with an ever-present timbre. “I thought you would have learned from your prior mistakes, however… it seems I hoped for too much.”

Joker had realized it would be an almost repeat of their last fight… but that hadn’t meant she’d remembered to prevent that. With her remaining chain-nail curled around the length of her wrist in order to keep her grip secure, she hadn’t been able to untangle herself and was soon flung into the air as Remnant pivoted his body abruptly.

Fox was sent hurtling towards Skull, the two falling over in a tangle of limbs while Panther and Mona dodged backward in an effort to stay clear of their leader being flung through the air in a circle. There was a clink as Fox’s katana was sent free of the chains upwards with such speed it was impaled into the ceiling.

The chain unraveled around Remnant as Joker finished multiple circles through the air, almost unable to orient herself enough to land on her feet as she skid across the floor trying to regain her balance. With their leader clear of harm’s way for the moment, the four remaining thieves had been able to ready themselves and release their Persona’s while she’d been swung around helplessly.

“Goemon! Bufula!”

“Carmen! Agilao!”

“Captain Kidd! Zionga!”

“Zorro! Garula!”

The four thieves sent a quarter of elemental magic hurtling towards Remnant. There was a loud boom as the fire and wind combined together to create a giant conflagration, melting the ice sent forth by Fox into water before being struck by Skull’s lightning.

A large plume of smoke erupted from the center of the four elements, the thieves blinded from the dust wafting through the air. The five huddled closer together as the dust began to settle, the melted ice from Yusuke’s attack puddling around them, their feet becoming lightly drenched.

“I asked you to not hold back and you didn’t…” a voice echoed out, the thieves not even needing to see to tell it was Remnant that was speaking.

Footsteps echoed loudly, crunching against wet gravel and stone, tiny chunks of earth being ground into the floor beneath heavy footfalls.

“…Yet I find myself disappointed at your growth,” Remnant said as the dust settled showing him to be unaffected with the exception of his now wet clothes and electricity sparking across his body. Somehow, his slicked-back hair managed to stay the same.

“A move that would have been devastating if used purposefully, reduced to little more than a puddle of water and a few sparks…” Remnant murmured as he looked at himself. “And even with all that, there’s are two things you all forget…”

Red lenses stared at them.

“I have a Persona.”

The water around them froze clear, a cold so intense wrapping around their feet and ankles, or in Mona’s face, up to his knees. Joker’s head whipped around so fast her long ponytail of hair blinded Skull and Panther for a moment as her eyes rested on the little dancing ice-demon behind them, a clear line of ice leading towards the water on the ground and freezing it a clear solid.

“And everything you do, can and will be used against you.”

Remnant’s voice was like a haunting reminder, Jack Frost disappearing without a sound and leaving a small mound of snow in his wake before reappearing at Remnant’s side.

* * *

Rem was really growing sick of the disappointed sigh that kept leaving Remnant’s mouth. At least one thing that’s left his mouth hadn’t left her feeling sick. With how everyone had huddled together, it’d left them well within touching-range and out-of-sight of their foe.

She silently tapped Ann’s wrist before her hands moved over to Yusuke and Ryuji, grasping the rings on their hands, the three skulls on both of them feeling vaguely ominous in her grasp since she knew where they’d come from.

A sharp intake of breath told her that they’d gotten the message and it was easy to assume that with Morgana and his height, he was able to look up and understand what she was saying.

If he was going to say anything they did could and would be used against them? She’d prove him right.

“Carmen!” Panther shouted as her hands quickly whipped and tore her mask free, the eruption of flame signaling the arrival of the femme fatale of the Opera was hot enough to weaken the ice around their feet enough for them to pull themselves free.

“Agilao!”

“Zorro! Garula!”

Another fiery conflagration was sent hurtling towards Remnant whose only response was a tilt of his head, red lenses reflecting the oncoming flames before a single word left his mouth.

“Champion’s Cup!”

“Bufula?” the order that left Remnant’s lips was almost like a question as red lenses snapped in Ryuji’s direction. It was the only thing that left his lips as a golden cup hovered above him and dumped a blue liquid onto the black-masked man, the liquid itself quickly soaking into his skin before a red aura erupted around him.

But an order was an order and his Persona, Jack Frost sent ice crystals shattering their way. Fractals of cold ice larger than Yusuke and sharper than any of their weapons, the effect only being amplified by the effects of the Ring of Lust’s Champion Cup that Jose had been kind enough to forge for them from the Kamoshida’s will seeds.

The wave of ice crystals quickly dispersed the conflagration of fire, the flames doing nothing against the sheer cold other than to lick at the hoarfrost that coated each ice crystal and melting them, but the cold causing the melted hoarfrost to freeze once more in less than a second. The wave of ice was sent by an ice spell that only focused on a singular user, and with Ann being the first one to cast her spell, the wave of ice erupted through the ground and rushed towards her.

Rem held her breath as Yusuke's voice resounded through the air in an almost victorious cry.

“Bleeding Dry Brush!”

Slashes of paint and color appeared in front of Ann, each slash akin to a stroke of a paintbrush and each stroke a different colour with there being seven strokes in total.

Red.

Orange.

Yellow.

Green.

Blue.

Indigo.

Violet.

Each stroke represented one color of the rainbow.

The strokes of ephemeral paint floated in front of Ann for a half-second before flashing a bright iridescent rainbow before fading away.

The wave of Champion’s Cup-enhanced ice struck Ann with the force of a hurricane and the cold of the arctic winds. With Ann’s weakness to ice attacks, an attack of this caliber rendered her unconscious immediately.

Or at least it would have.

The incandescent rainbow strokes of paint flashed harshly before the fractals of sheer cold ice, keeping it at bay for a breath-taking moment as Ann stared at a particular crystal of ice that would have pierced her throat.

An explosion of cold and icy mist was sent into the air as the eruption of ice was sent hurtling back towards Remnant in an instant, the black-masked foe was wholly unprepared for the sudden reversal and found himself struck by his own attack.

A diamond dust of ice and mist hung in the air as Ryuji gave a big whoop of glee and Yusuke gave a satisfied nod. Ann crumpled bonelessly to the ground from the amount of adrenaline running through her veins, Morgana squashed helplessly beneath her. Rem allowed a silent sigh of relief to leave her lips as Shiisa faded away beside her, reforming into her mask. The blue aura of Rakukaja leaving Ann, the worst-case scenario of protection no longer needed.

Relief and joy sang through the silence as minuscule shards of ice and mist hung in the air, glittering a shining white in the darkness of Mementos. It was only with the light cold and adrenaline leaving their veins did the Phantom Thieves finally realize their injuries, largely being in the form of mental fatigue.

In truth they’d barely even been touched by Remnant, the most being Rem swung through the air or Yusuke sent barrelling into Ryuji. Maybe having been frozen but otherwise, they’d been left unharmed physically. However, the number of spells they’d used left them all stumbling and weak with adrenaline no longer keeping the pounding of blood rushing through their skulls at bay and sending them to their knees.

_*Clap clap*_

The sound of slow applause caused the Phantom Thieves to look up blearily, Ryuji letting out a pained groan of frustration as a black duster swished through the icy mist showing Remnant unharmed aside from his previously wet clothes now dusted with frost.

“I think I can now say I’m pleased with your performance,” Remnant remarked as he stood a few feet away from the quintet, hands clasped behind his back as a small smirk played once more upon his lips. “It seems you’ve truly grown somewhat, not in strength but in adaptability and cunning,” he praised lightly.

“You even took my advice and used it against me, something I find myself surprised in your execution,” red-lenses rounded on Ryuji who was slumped against Ann. “Increasing your enemies’ strength in order for the resulting rebound to be stronger and deadlier, clever.”

He looked at Rem, “However, one thing you should know is normally not to attack a Persona or Shadow with their respective element. Chances are they are either null to said element or can absorb it.”

He walked forward looming over them. “However, as much as you’ve grown… there is still much for you to learn. There may always be more to your opponent than what simply lies upon the surface. If you do not know your opponent, never assume you have seen everything they have to offer… for even as rigid as your resolve may be, there shall always be someone out there to ground you into the earth.”

Remnant’s gaze shifted towards Yusuke, red lenses being stared back by eyes the color of steel behind the mask of a fox. Slowly, he knelt down in front of Yusuke.

“You, who joined in cleansing the Fallen Angel of Vanity, I pose the same question I asked your allies once before. The path ahead is fraught with danger. There are many players in this game, larger and stronger than you can expect,” a meaningful silence passed between the two as contemplative grey looked into a blank red mask.

“You could not touch me, even when you’d used my own strength against me. As you are now, you will die. Is this the path you wish to tread? If you do, there is no point of return.”

“Madarame’s exploitation of my art has left me with a strong desire to fight the injustices left in the wake of foul individuals such as him,” Yusuke’s response was calm and concise but held an undercurrent of steel. “I would not back down to let the ugliness of the heart destroy the world we see as our own abode.”

A moment passed before the small smirk upon Remnant’s lips grew the slightest bit wider as he lunged forward.

The sound of rasping steel caused the five of them to stiffen as Remnant pulled back, Yusuke shakily looking down at his waist at his katana with wide-eyes. The same katana which had last been impaled up to the hilt in the ceiling.

“Know this, newest member of the Phantom Thieves. I acknowledge your resolve, but only time will tell if you have the will to fight for your own fate. It will not be me who tests you, but you yourself,” Remnant rasped, his words floating eerily now rather than simply as a deep timbre.

Rem felt as if despite how Remnant had been talking to Yusuke, his words were directed at all of them. She and the others watched as Remnant slowly stood up from his kneeling position to pull out the same golden bottle he’d crushed last time, and in a repeat of events, crushed it within his hands.

Glass clinked and crinkled between black gloves, a golden mist seeping between his fingers and into the air. Just like last time, it felt as the weight of the world disappeared from their skulls, blood no longer pulsing through at the rate of a jackhammer and the fatigue of both body and mind lifting away.

Wordlessly, he moved past them with a grace Rem hadn’t seen last time, moving between the thieves as they slowly got up and seemed as if he was going to venture further into the depths of Mementos. However, that all came to a halt as Ann called out.

“Wait!”

Remnant paused in his steps, a turn of his head and a single red-lense looking back at them being the only sign of his acknowledgment.

“Yes?”

It was Rem that took the turn to speak, as leader of the group she felt as if it fell to her to ask the question they were searching for. “In Madarame Palace… after we defeated him, he said something about a Persona-user with a black mask that was seen there… was it you he was talking about?”

Remnant didn’t say anything, but his head moved slightly to look ahead of him, something which caused Rem to feel as if he was taking a great deal of consideration for his words.

“The mask I wear is black, the much is indeed true… however, there are many individuals that participate in this game, some closer to you than you’d think,” Remnant said, his voice almost ringing in the silence. “The black-masked individual the Fallen Angel of Vanity was talking about was not myself, but one of the many pawns in this game. You already know this pawn by name, however, their nature has not yet been revealed to you. A time will come when you will figure out their identity, however, it is not my place to tell you.”

“What?” Rem uttered in confusion as she got up on shaky feet, “Why not?”

“Because as much of a wildcard I am in this game of chess we play… I cannot break the rules,” the words left his lips which cause Rem to still, her brow furrowing in contemplative confusion.

“I will await you at the end of Chemdah.”

With his last piece said, Remnant disappeared into the depths of Mementos, his words stuck in the minds of the Phantom Thieves.

* * *

“Joker?”

“Yeah?”

Rem was snapped out of her thoughts by Morgana tugging at her leg. Everyone was confused by what the Remnant said, and suspicion largely faded from their faces at the revelation he gave them.

“He said you know them by name…” Morgana murmured with a troubled look upon his feline face. “Do you have any idea who it could be?”

Ryuji piped up, “I ain’t got no effin’ clue, but then again, thinkin’ isn’t my thing.”

“I don’t know who you’re acquainted with, so I don’t believe I can assist you in this matter as of yet,” Yusuke added simply, however, he seemed distracted with a hand fingering the hilt of his sword.

Rem looked down at Morgana. “Sorry, Mona, no one really pops into mind. Everyone that I know is either you guys or just doesn’t fit the description of being a metaverse-user…” Rem shook her head apologetically. She looked around, noting their weary postures. “I think for now, we all need some rest.”

“Well, we should probably head back after we give Jose those flowers we collected. We’ve done enough Mementos exploration today.” Morgana said as the Thieves slumped in exhaustion after their fight.

**World Arcana – Rank 2!**

**+5 all stats!**

“Falling asleep sounds like a great plan to me,” Ann murmured, exhaustion setting in before her eyes shot open slightly. “Wait… don’t we have to celebrate Yusuke joining the team?”

The Monabus came into view as Morgana poofed into his bus form, everyone clambering in tiredly.

“We’ll do it tm’rw…” Ryuji grunted already half asleep. Beside him, Yusuke’s head was already lolling back and forth as he reclined into Morgana’s cushions, Morpheus quickly taking him into the land of dreams.

“Just do it at Leblanc…” Morgana said quietly, his own form of exhaustion showing with the low purr of his engine.

Rem didn’t have the energy to argue and simply allowed her head to bonk quietly between the seat and the glass window, falling asleep quickly.

* * *

Rem gave a small sullen glare at her room, looking at the layer of dust she’d yet to get around to cleaning and the small number of cobwebs interspersed around the corners of Leblanc’s attic.

“I’m too tired to clean…” Rem grumbled as she fell face-first into her mattress, regretting the decision to not argue with Morgana about having Yusuke’s celebration at Leblanc. Said cat opened a bleary blue eye as he laid off to the side, the moonlight shining down on them.

It was late afternoon the saw the two returning home, Sojiro ordering them to close up after he left since the business was slow and he’d decided to close early for the day. Rem had ended up spending the time between then and night sleeping like a log, and even with the two-hour power nap, she was still dead-tired.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Ryuji…”

Crimson eyes blinked open, Rem slowly getting up to send Morgana an incredulous look of confusion. “Do I want to know why you’re suddenly talking about Ryuji?” Rem asked with a raised brow only for a blue feline pupil to stare at her unimpressed.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Mishima…”

Rem blinked once more, Morgana’s words only furthering to exacerbate her confusion, red eyes continuing to look at the feline trying to sleep in confusion. Blue eyes opened once more, this time in minor annoyance before drifting over to the table next to the sofa.

“Maid… watch…” Morgana managed to utter out in annoyance before drowsiness caused his eyelids to fall slowly as he succumbed to sleep, having been unable to sleep in Mementos since he was the transportation and Ann was the driver.

Rem blinked and thought about it before slowly moving up from the bed and over to the table to look at the pink flyer Mishima and Ryuji had talked about using before for some stupid operation which sounded sleazy at best and downright perverted at worst. Looking at the maid flyer now, however, and all Rem could see was a god-sent way for her room to be cleaned while she could sleep.

Grabbing the pink flyer, she sat down on the sofa and pulled out her phone to dial the number displayed on the flyer, barely taking a few moments to accept the first maid they’d offered for cleaning services. Checking she had the correct amount of change, Rem allowed herself to relax as she waited for whichever maid they sent to come, her eyelids feeling heavy, a warmth only known by the extremely tired wrapping around her as she sunk into the lumpy sofa.

_*Knock Knock*_

Rem’s eyes fluttered open briefly as she blearily registered the sound of knock coming from downstairs. With great reluctance and quite a bit of difficulty, Rem drowsily made her way downstairs and over to the front door of the café to let the maid in.

The overhead bell jingled as Rem opened the door.

“What… the fuck…” Rem muttered, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she stared at her homeroom teacher dressed in a maid outfit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, big shoutout to some1upoyo for helping out with this chapter and giving me the motivation to write again after like a month without a computer.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lived bitch!
> 
> The half-chapter that has sat in both mine and some1upoyo's google drive has finally been finished after six months!
> 
> Also after six months, I've completed my final year of uni and I'm slated to graduate in April 2021! Wooot!
> 
> Sadly also means I need to search for work and become a responsible member of society, which y'know, fun. Unfortunately also means I'll need to take another break from writing to go job hunting and whatnot.
> 
> On the positive side, my impatience is your gain cause I hadn't actually been intending to complete this chapter this year, was actually planning to update my Trails of Cold Steel story but here we all are.

_ ‘Hooray for alcohol,’ _ Akira toyed the thought in his mind mildly as he sat in the darkness of his living room, a small glass filled three-quarters of the way with the red wine from Inokashira Park in his grasp which he was slowly working his way through. The moment he’d returned from Mementos the first thing he did was ensure Goro wasn’t home, a quick call into the darkness quickly showing he was still at work which was more than perfect for Akira’s next actions. 

He needed a drink by himself.

Goro didn’t care much about enforcing the law in regards to underage drinking especially since he already knew some of the less than legal things Akira had done in the past. And Akira himself had more than once turned a blind eye to times when he’d find Goro nursing a saucer or two of sake at the kitchen table after a particularly terrible day at work. By turning a blind eye, he meant taking a saucer and joining him in getting blind drunk off of undiluted sake.

The perks to living with no adults and having a fake identification card.

Amrita Drop had Ibuprofen beat any day of the week when it came to curing hangovers.

Without turning on the lights Akira swiftly moved over to the kitchen and opened the fridge, pulled out the chilled remainder of wine he still had from when he’d made curry during the Inokashira Park clean-up and grabbed a small glass tumbler as he passed the glasses cupboard. With his two trusty companions, a foot hooked around the fridge door and kicked it closed before he made his way over to the couch and plopped himself down with a muted thump as he impacted the leather cushions.

A quick pop of the cork sent it shooting into the darkness and Third Eye made it bright enough that he could fill the glass without it spilling over. He put the wine bottle to the side for the moment as he downed the glass of fermented red grapes before pouring himself a second glass in record time.

He wanted to get even slightly buzzed to stave off the growing grievances he had without having to resort to drinking lukewarm rice wine or sake.

...He should put a bottle of either in the fridge now that he thought about it.

With a refilled glass in hand, Akira allowed himself to sink into the couch and close his eyes, glad that he’d been too lazy to turn on the lights and took comfort in the darkness.

The metaverse in this reality was all kinds of bullshit.

He’d never actually intended to encounter Rem or the others, the sole reason for him entering Mementos today was because he’d assumed they  _ wouldn’t _ be there. If anything, they should’ve been out celebrating Yusuke joining the Phantom Thieves and them taking down Madarame but of course not, that just would have been too simple. Akira gently rubbed at his temples, Sandalphon’s Amrita Drop easing his headache in the real world but also, sadly, erasing the alcohol in his system before it could get him buzzed. 

Pros and cons of having magic.

He’d been under the assumption that Rem would follow the same timeline he once had, meaning that today the five of them should’ve been celebrating Madarame’s defeat and Yusuke joining the group at Leblanc, but obviously she hadn’t gotten the memo. Akira had almost had a slight panic attack in Mementos where he’d been in the middle of having an existential crisis before he could feel the empty World Arcana within him pulse and pull in a certain direction, a direction that he’d instinctively known as the barrier between Aiyatsbus and Chemdah.

He hadn’t planned on having an existential crisis but things had led to him being introspective when his Personas quite literally  _ refused _ to accept the Shadow-turned-Persona known as Cait Sith. Well, less that and more that the Magician had refused to accept it and more the fact that Akira had felt his Sea of Souls strain when he tried to, like filling a dam but one too many drops would invariably cause the walls holding the dam back to break and burst.

That hadn’t been what’d caused the existential crisis though, that’d merely been the spark. He’d known to an extent that he wouldn’t be able to add Cait Sith to his Sea of Souls like Rem was able to. He’d completed his compendium and his soul was already full. The existential crisis came right after as he realised of the twenty-six arcana that he’d come to possess, four of them were empty.

Akira had been taken over by an utter sense of  _ wrong _ at the time, and even now he rubbed an uncomfortable hand over his heart as if it’d do something to abate the unease he felt. 

World.

Faith. 

Aeon.

Councillor.

This wasn’t like when he’d once been filling his compendium long ago, the Arcanas of his soul waiting for more Persona to house and contain. To eventually be led by a Persona forged through the unshakeable bonds of the soul.

These four were empty and would  _ stay _ empty.

Like voids gnawing within his soul, blurring the lines between Arcanas. It was discomforting to know a part of his own soul would be empty forever. This then led into darker thoughts that Akira had been more than glad to have his existential crisis interrupted by Rem and the others, and all too soon, the part of himself he’d taken up slid onto his face.

Remnant took the reins while Akira sat in the backseat, watching… observing…

Before he’d even stepped foot onto the seventh floor of Aiyatsbus he could tell that Rem had sensed him, the sound of feet shuffling uncomfortably letting him know that she’d told the others.

She’d grown since the last time they’d met, albeit in the barest sense.

Odin had almost erupted from the depths of the Emperor Arcana, sheer force of will containing the father of the Norse while he’d seen to Yusuke’s determination. 

Then he’d told them to fight him with everything they had. They did. They hadn’t been strong, in fact, they’d been downright  _ weak _ . But they were better than he and his own friends had once been, less flailing about, Rem not needing to give commands, the Wild Card in fact taking a backseat and sticking to support while Ryuji and Yusuke had taken to the front while Ann and Morgana stayed back acting as ranged-firepower.

Of course, they hadn’t done much better than their previous encounter, Akira allowing himself to be tied up by Rem’s chains to see what she would do and found himself disappointed by the fact they’d essentially repeated the same thing they’d done last time, with the addition of another physical attacker added to their repertoire of skills.

He’d ended up using Rem’s own chains to catch Yusuke’s katana, knowing that the blue-haired reminder of his old comrade would have yet to learn how to properly use it. The katana was a sword, not a brush. The strokes of the blade needed to be precise and swift rather than flowing and adaptable. He’d used a small chink between the chains to catch the blades and send it upwards before sending Rem whirling around the station floor akin to spinning-top with her hanging like a leaf in the wind.

Then the metaverse decided to stop making sense.

It decided that apparently, it was the time to allow the laws of physics to take effect, in particular the laws of thermal fusion and conduction. That and the fact that Ann and Morgana had  _ combined  _ two goddamn spells in the process to create what was essentially a bootleg fire spell that was somewhere between an Agidyne and Inferno.

Akira groaned as he placed his glass to the side and grabbed the bottle of wine, in its place downing the whole thing in one go, simply hoping for things to make sense again. The metaverse was using real-world logic now, and that hadn’t even been the end of it.

Nope.

After absorbing the coming hellfire sent by the Phantom Thieves’ two support members, Akira had found himself summarily soaked in water from the ice that’d melted in the fire and consequently finding his body to be an excellent conductor for who knows how much volts of electricity. It hadn’t been damaging, but more surprising than anything even as bolts of electricity had been crawling across his form which he’d ignored.

He’d mentally ordered Jack Frost to freeze them in place with a Mabufu because he was petty like that. He should’ve used a Mabufudyne and frozen them solid so he wouldn’t have needed to continue dealing with their bullshittery.

Ann had melted their icy constraints slowly before she and Morgana had sent another of their bootleg fire spells at him, the fire sent by Ann feeding off Morgana's wind and growing stronger as it approached. That kind of unison would certainly be devastating once they reached Agidyne and Garudyne in terms of strength, and ludicrous once they reached Inferno and Panta Rhei nevermind Titanomachia used in conjunction with Vacuum Wave which would become world-breaking. 

The most bullshit thing about the fight, however, had been the fact that Ryuji had summoned Kamoshida’s  _ treasure _ and dumped its contents on him.

Akira had been so confused when Ryuji shouted out  _ “Champion’s Cup!”  _ having been unable to recall a single spell even remotely similar to it, confused enough to order a Bufula rather than another Mabufu. He’d had a small heartache since he  _ knew _ if it made contact with Ann it would severely injure if not outright kill her with how strong his spells were. That headache turned into outright heart palpitations when the blue liquid-like contents of Ryuji’s Kamoshida’s Treasure-thing was poured onto him,  _ boosting _ his strength and sending out fractal pillars of ice on par with a standard Bufudyne.

He’d almost summoned Surt from the Magician’s Arcana and used Inferno to stop the ice pillars from striking her.

_ “Bleeding Dry Brush.” _

Akira groaned as he leaned back in his seat, the memories of seven strokes of paint flashing in front of Ann moments before the ice struck, the colours reminiscent of a rainbow before they shone an iridescent reflective shade of pearl. The strokes of pearl had promptly absorbed the spell before shooting it back at him, once more catching him off guard.

It didn’t take too much to figure out what had happened. 

He’d watched as the skull-seeds were taken from the rooms of distorted cognition from both Kamoshida and Madarame’s Palaces. Or at least Ongyo-Ki and Odin with Huginn and Muninn had seen it happen since they were able to go unnoticed rather than Akira himself in close-quarters.

He’d noticed the strange rings that stood out against the yellow and blues of Ryuji’s and Yusuke gloves, made even stranger by the three skulls that adorned them fashioned into a triangular formation. Rings that Jose had made. They’d crystallised the desires of two Palace-owners into a pseudo-treasure that they could use with the help of a robotic child that was still in the midst of learning about humans and emotion.

What the absolute fuck.

Even despite it being a standard Bufudyne rather than his own powered-up Bufudyne being reflected, it would have left a mark if it hadn't been for Jack Frost’s applied null to ice. Fortunately, he’d been able to walk it off with little more than frost clinging to his shoulders and watched as the Phantom Thieves succumbed to mental fatigue from too many consecutive mid-tier spells.

Comparing Rem and the others compared to Akira in the past was like comparing a baby to a child, Rem and the others seemingly growing at a much faster rate than he ever had. Add in the fact that there were changes to the Metaverse such as the respawning of ammo cartridges within his firearms, differing Personas, the Metaverse seemingly using physics and the fact they were using crystallised Treasures, Akira found himself the slightest bit miffed at their exceptional progress.

While he stayed by the thought that they were weak in terms of strength, they made up for it by being much more resourceful in comparison.

Even though it did leave him feeling miffed, it honestly left him impressed with their growth. They were still getting help from the reality around them, but it didn’t change the fact that they were at a point where Akira could easily tell that they were better than the Phantom Thieves had been at the same point in time.

Rem herself became akin to a powerhouse even if she only stayed as support for the majority of the fight. Unlike Akira who didn’t gain any bonuses to his strength since he’d already long since peaked the strength of his personae, Rem gained every single bonus growing stronger and stronger with each time they fought and the World Arcana ranked up.

And then Rem asked about the one with the Black Mask that Madarame had likely mentioned and her automatic assumption had been to him, his own black-mask being the reason behind her question.

Her question had left him at a crossroad.

There was simply too much risk in outright telling her despite how much he wanted to, half of him wanting to help them as much as possible while Metatron warred for Goro’s safety. Even when the many things Goro had done were despicable and while Akira had allowed him to run amok without interference, there was still good in him and he wasn’t going to be selling him out, unwilling to throw him to the wolves. In the end, he compromised and gave Rem a vague hint before leaving, before she could continue asking.

Which brought Akira to how he found himself sitting in the darkness of his own home, drinking enough wine to get himself slightly buzzed but not enough for him to accidentally burn down the house when he inevitably had to make dinner and the part of himself that was Remnant having been slipped off.

“I don’t know if this is a bloody mess or not…” he murmured, allowing the bottle of wine to drop back onto the table with a clink before pinching the bridge of his nose.

He allowed a grunt of annoyed exasperation to leave his lips as the feeling of Amrita Drop worked its way through his system followed by a sense of quiet chiding ringing through his skull courtesy of Cybele. 

“Thanks…” Akira eventually murmured grudgingly as he stood and began to clean up the glass and now empty wine bottle.

COLD

Cybele, despite being formed in the image of a Phrygian Goddess, was formed from a fragment of his own soul and moulded from the High Priestess bonds he’d forged so long ago and as such carried a small amount of Makoto’s own personality. He gave a piece of his soul to Makoto, just as he did with everyone else, and the piece of himself returned in the form of the ultimate Persona Cybele.

Or at least most of it. A small part always stays with those he’s bonded with.

It was why each Ultimate Persona held utter control over their respective Arcanas. They were fragments of himself that he gave away to be moulded and shaped as his bonds grew, at the end they always returned. The High Priestess fragment had been formed into the image of the Phrygian Goddess, moulded by the bonds of the High Priestess and even keeping remnants of their contractor’s personality. It wasn’t any surprise then why Akira felt almost as if Makoto herself was chastising him.

As he began to prepare dinner, Akira mulled over if that was why he felt so ill-at-ease with the four Arcanas that resided within his soul even despite how much he cared for Rem, Sumire and Jose and had taken a liking to Maruki.

He’d lost pieces of himself with each bond he made and only gained most of it back when he forged the vows in the blood of an oath. He wondered if the parts he’d lost this time would ever come back and if he’d only continue to lose even more of himself.

Memories of his tenuous control over his Persona didn’t give him ease. 

Of Kohryu and Ongyo-Ki fighting for Wakaba.

Of Metatron trying to force his way out of the Sea of Souls when he’d first seen Goro in the Metaverse.

Of Futsunushi’s wrath when he’d whisked Morgana away from the Prison of Regression.

Of Ishtar revolting with the Lovers to save Shiho.

Of Chi-You’s yearning for Akira to stand by Ryuji’s side.

Of Odin’s calmness that reflected Yusuke’s own disposition most of the time.

Of the constant headaches and feelings of joyousness from Cybele whenever he was in Makoto’s presence.

He wondered now if he’d gotten a piece of his soul back… or if he’d really gotten a piece of theirs.

* * *

“You look terrible,” were the first things that left Sojiro’s mouth as he looked at his probationary charge, the raven-haired girl dangling her upper body limply over the counter from her stool, normally neatly braided hair instead in a messy tangle of locks while her vivid red-eyes drooped ever so slightly.

At least the cat seemed normal with how he was licking at his paw.

Sojiro sighed as he placed his hat onto the wall rack, the morning newspaper from his house tucked under his armpit as he thought about flipping the sign to open early before deciding against it. It was better to enjoy the peace while he could and opening an hour-and-a-half early seemed like a pain.

“Sit up straight at least, you’ll ruin your back if you slouch like that,” the older man reprimanded as he passed Rem, a finger shooting out sharply into the base of Rem’s spine to press against it momentarily, the rudeness causing Rem’s muscles to seize and her back to straighten. Sojiro hadn’t even bothered to stay, instead choosing to move around the counter and to take his spot behind the coffee machine.

Rem looked at Sojiro for a moment before her back muscles relaxed and she slumped over the counter again. Her guardian looked at her for a moment, a look of bemused annoyance flashing across his face before he took the rolled-up newspaper beneath his arm and swatted her on the nose like one would a particularly naughty cat.

Sojiro almost snorted as he watched her head shrink into her neck, automatic reflexes causing her to shy away momentarily. Sojiro couldn’t help but think that perhaps the analogy of swatting her like a cat was spot on. He then threw the newspaper in front of her causing her to actually look up.

“Come on, I’m not going to let you become a limp noodle all morning. If you have time to be tired, you have time to do something useful,” he ordered, shooing Rem from her seat who begrudgingly left it while Morgana watched on. As Rem slowly shuffled around the cafe Sojiro gave her a calculating look.

“Actually… do you know how to make coffee?” 

Rem gave him a sleepy confused look.

“I can make instant coffee?”

Sojiro’s face pulled into a disgusted grimace as he shook his head. With his eyes closed in disappointment, a hand fumbled around beneath the counter before coming back up and throwing a bundle of cloth at Rem. The raven-haired girl struggled for a moment in her slightly sleep-deprived state as she freed herself from the cloth before finding said cloth to be an apron.

“Here. If you’re going to be living here for a year I might as well make the most of it. I’ll teach you how to brew the perfect cup of coffee while you live here.” Sojiro smirked as Rem dragged herself behind the counter. After lighting the flame under the siphons, Sojiro pointed out the equipment and their uses. Rem used a notepad to take notes on Sojiro’s concise instructions before Sojiro pulled out some coffee beans.

“Take these. Practice with the lower-quality beans for now, alright?”

Rem nodded.

“You want to start up the flame, but be careful with the heat. Not too much, not too little. Grab twelve grams of beans and grind them. We always grind them medium-fine; consistency is key. Now, add the water into the siphon and bring it to a boil.”

Rem kept jotting down notes while Sojiro continued with his lecture. He moved effortlessly, even throwing in a little trivia about the type of bean he was using: Blue Mountain. In a few minutes, she found a steaming cup of coffee sitting in front of her while Sojiro was cleaning the siphon.

This process of teaching and learning between the two continued just before the cafe was slated to open, Rem placing a steaming cup of black liquid in front of Sojiro, the two having swapped places with Rem behind the counter and Sojiro sitting on a stool on the other side of the counter.

Morgana hadn’t moved his furry butt during the whole hour the two had been making coffee.

Sojiro’s long fingers grasped the handle of the porcelain before him, slowly bring the cup to his lips and taking a small sip, tasting the flavours of the carefully ground beans. 

Rem watched him carefully, waiting as the contractor of Hierophant continued to come to a decision of her first try of brewing coffee.

“I’m glad we started on the low-quality beans,” a slightly disappointed sigh left Sojiro’s lips as Rem’s shoulders slumped and Morgana let out a silent snicker. “No one living under the roof of my store will be this terrible at making a good cup,” Sojiro gave his crestfallen ward a light glare, however, there was the slightest tinge of amusement in them.

“By the end of your probation I’ll have you able to make a cup of Leblanc coffee, you hear me brat?” he stated rather than asked, Rem only able to do little more than nod and accept her fate as a soon-to-be coffee maker.

The sound of chains shattering echoed in Rem’s soul, the Hierophant Arcana ranking up with Rem’s acceptance to learn how to make coffee with Sojiro.

“By the way, you’re planning to do something today, right?” 

Rem was broken out of her thoughts by the sudden question, caught taken aback by the nature of it. “Pardon?” she double-checked to make sure she’d heard correctly.

Sojiro merely grunted as he picked up his cup, drained it with one quick gulp and began to move over to the sink to clean it. “You had a look on your face when I entered, it seemed like you had something you needed to do today,” his voice rose over the sound of rushing water and scrubbing before he eventually rinsed it free of soap suds before letting dry to the side on a dish rack.

It took Rem a moment to process what he was, and even then it took her a moment to even understand what he’d been talking about. As far as she knew she didn’t have anything planned today except for-

“Yusuke’s celebration- !” the words tumbled out of Rem’s mouth as she realised what she’d forgotten. She’d been too caught up in the revelation that her teacher worked part-time as a maid that she’d lapsed her memory with the fact that they’d moved the celebration of Yusuke joining the Phantom Thieves to today rather than yesterday.

Sojiro gave a snort as he looked at the momentary flicker of panic that flitted across the occasionally calm girl’s face. “Well that’s a new name… a new friend I take it?” he asked curiously, vaguely recalling a conversation where Rem had told him about her friends at Shujin but this new one seemed a tad unfamiliar.

“Yeah, we’re celebrating with him today,” Rem said, a hand running through her unbraided hair and feeling all the kinks and knots from their escapades in Mementos the day prior.

It seemed that Rem’s unkempt appearance hadn’t escaped Sojiro’s notice either as he gave her rumpled clothes and all-around unprepared figure a pointed look. “Not like that you’re not,” Sojiro shook his head. “Go to the bathhouses and clean yourself up, I’ll take care of cleaning the rest of the equipment. You can bring them over after you’ve cleaned yourself up, wouldn’t mind finally meeting these friends of yours.”

Rem hesitated from her spot behind the counter, Morgana finally deigning to move his head and look at the two residents of Leblanc, or more accurately, one resident and one owner. “Are you sure?” she asked to make sure.

“Yeah, I’ll clean up, don’t want you trying to clean this stuff anyway until I run you through it, might accidentally break something,” Sojiro grunted, but even with the gruff exterior he presented, she could still see the barest hint of a grin pulling at his lips, almost as if he was trying to hide it.

With another hesitant glance at Sojiro who was deep at work cleaning all the different equipment used, Rem finally relented and took off her apron to hang it up on its hook near the downstairs toilet. She rushed up the stairs to grab a change of clothes and her towel before heading back down.

Just as she reached the door she paused for a moment before turning to look over her shoulder at the elderly cafe owner. 

“Thanks, Sojiro.”

She was out the door the next second.

In the cafe Sojiro stared at the door to his cafe, the jingle of the overhead bells still tingling as he watched Rem turn left to the head to the bath house. When he’d finally gathered his bearings, a small ungainly snort left his lips as he shook his head.

“First time the brat’s actually bothered to properly address me…” he murmured, a smirk on his face as he pulled out a small notebook, identical in nature to the one Rem carried on her person, Sojiro’s own probationary notebook.

He began to write.

Off to the side, Morgana’s head laid on his paws, an eye cracked open as he watched Sojiro write. He observed the smile on the man’s face before snorting.

“The two of them, I swear,” Morgana muttered before closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep while he still had some spare time. 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Persona: Cards Collide](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24919303) by [AkiraKuru2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiraKuru2/pseuds/AkiraKuru2)




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